


The Cards Guide Me: The Legend of Nozomi Toujou

by KGA (Cai000)



Series: The Legend of Nozomi Toujou [1]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Character Interpretation, And Muse is finally formed!, Eli is a useful lesbian, F/F, Romance, Spy thriller, The second year is finally finished!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-07-16 09:11:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 95
Words: 114,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7261909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cai000/pseuds/KGA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An experienced female operative is sent to Otonokizaka as Nozomi Toujou with the objective of preventing the school's closure. Once there, she meets a Russian operative, realizing the stakes at Otonokizaka are higher than she imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“This is a joke, right?” The woman asked incredulously, as she looked through the folder in front of her. She was dressed professionally, in a dark suit with a white blouse, the skirt ending just above her knees as well as shoes with a slight heel.

“I assure you, this is no joke.” The man sitting behind the desk replied. “You are the best fit for this operation.”

The woman would have asked for the man’s name, but meetings like this were always easier without bothering. She knew this man was authorized to provide her with orders, and that was enough. Not that she was happy with the situation, the more she flipped through the pages of the folder provided to her, the more outraged she became.

“I speak five languages, have successfully infiltrated organizations that wish to cause domestic disturbances, spent years in training and on operations, and my assignment is to infiltrate a high school?” The woman asked loudly.

“Quiet.” The man said firmly. Then he calmly explained, “This is not infiltration. Your objective is to monitor the school and provide whatever support it should need as a student. You are one of the few individuals we have that can appear young enough to fit in. You have additionally been chosen due to your reliability.”

“Otonokizaka High School.” The woman read aloud.

“It is a school that is slowly failing, they will be down to only three classes this coming year. It would be troublesome to provide direct assistance to them, but it is essential to us they stay open.” The man explained.

The woman thought to ask why, but knew she would not receive an answer to that question. “I’m 25.” Was all she said at first, then added, “I think I’m a little too old to pass for ten years younger.”

“You are mature for your age, that is all.” The man replied.

The woman sighed, exasperated, “This is my legend, I assume?” She looked through the folder some more, it was a complete biography of the girl she was supposed to be when she attended the school. Not only that, it had a copies of several documents stating prior residences, previous schools, and even details of the relationship with the identity’s family.

“You are just a girl who moved around with her parents many times and are now living by yourself to attend high school at a single institution. It is common enough it should not cause you any trouble when others realize you are living alone.” The man explained.

_At least I can live alone._ The woman thought. _They probably do not want to expend additional personnel on this operation to act as parents._ “Any major personality traits?” She asked.

“We will leave that to you. Just try to avoid having any visible hobbies that would be too adult for a girl her age.” The man said.

“Fine.” The woman said. She flipped the papers in the folder back to the beginning, “Nozomi Toujou.” She said aloud, “I suppose it is not such a bad name.” Trying to find something she liked about this entire situation. _Of course I get sent to repeat high school, it’s like a bad nightmare._ She thought.

“The school year begins in three weeks, which should be enough time to study your legend.” The man said.

“Three weeks is plenty.” The woman said.

“Dismissed.” And with that, the woman walked out the door, prepared to begin her new life as Nozomi Toujou.

 ----

 

It was two weeks before classes began. Nozomi had by now noticed the budget for this operation was surprisingly generous. _They gave me parents who were doing well enough to provide a more than sufficient income. Maybe there is something important about this after all._ She thought as she rearranged the new furniture she had brought into her apartment.

Otonokizaka school uniforms had already been provided, as well as a wide range of clothing suited to a first year in high school. Unfortunately this clothing posed a problem, it would have been better suited to ten years ago when she was in high school for the first time rather than current fashion. As she looked through her closest she said to herself, “Looks like I’ll have to go shopping for clothes too.”

She had also started the process of making herself physically look the part of a first year student. Her hair had been dyed purple and she bought some hair extensions to give the illusion of having much longer hair than she did. A few changes in how she wore makeup completed the rest of the physical appearance changes she underwent in preparation for her new life as Nozomi Toujou. _This body does look a bit too mature for a first year student, but it can’t be helped._ She thought to herself.

Nozomi did wonder how she would fit in with the other students. Nobody seemed to plan for that issue. She did smile, however, as she looked at the two tarot decks on her table. The two possessions that had underwent the same journeys and trials she herself had been through. “I’m sure plenty of students will come to me if they have problems if they know I have these.” she said. A piece of her true self that she could have no matter where she went. It was a risk, to have a personal item like that, but the benefits of keeping two small possessions for her own sake outweighed the risks they posed.

Perhaps the biggest concern Nozomi faced was also the one question she couldn’t figure out an answer to right away, “Why is this operation happening?” Nozomi had two more weeks before her new school life began, but a great deal of work to do in that time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The woman sent to Otonokizaka as Nozomi Toujou starts her work, beginning with a trip to the school's campus.

Shopping for new clothes turned out to be a bust. _I have no idea what’s appropriate here._ Nozomi thought to herself as she went to several stores to see what was available for clothing outside of school. _An entire day spent shopping and I still didn’t really accomplish anything._ She was feeling the pressure to prepare for the upcoming school year in as many ways as possible.

Still, she did manage to buy some things. As Nozomi looked at the bags she brought back to her apartment she emptied the contents onto the bed. Several pairs of thigh high socks and a few accessories for her hair were there. _Well, I suppose not a total loss, I’ll experiment with these later._ She concluded as she put the items back into their bags and went to bed for the evening. _I’ll visit the school tomorrow._ she concluded.

The next day Nozomi woke up and got dressed, putting on the Otonokizaka uniform for her visit to the school. She added the new socks to her uniform and looked at herself in the full body mirror she had put in the apartment. “Missing something.” she said quietly. Then she reopened the bag with the hair accessories, putting a pair of pink scrunchies in her hair to create a twin tail effect. She smiled after she had done this, “I do look younger like this.” she said. _I feel so obnoxious trying to look so young._ She thought to herself, _Still, this might work._ Then she grabbed one of her tarot decks and left to visit the school.

As Nozomi approached the Otonokizaka campus it looked mostly empty. _Not surprising, nothing should be happening here this week._ She considered the possibility of being told she shouldn’t be there, but then put on a smile and reminded herself, _All I need to do is act like I belong here and no one will ask too many questions._ With that she went past the gates and onto the campus grounds.

_What is so great about this school?_ Nozomi reminded herself was the question she wanted to answer. She thought it would give her a lead as to why she was assigned to this place. _Looks peaceful. No significant physical threats._ She then took a look at the archery range, _It is a nice range._ She thought as she walked into the area housing the range.

“Hello!” A girl with a bow in her hands said as she looked away from downfield and at Nozomi as she entered, quickly putting the equipment down so she didn’t have to hold onto it. “I haven’t seen you before, are you new?”

“I will be.” Nozomi said quietly. _Not quite right._ She thought to herself. She then smiled brightly, “I just couldn’t wait to see what Otonokizaka had to offer! I’m sorry!” she said before bowing. “I missed previous opportunities to see the school.” Nozomi offered in further explanation. _Too formal._ She immediately thought. _Finding this girl’s voice is harder than I expected, well, that’s okay, I’ll write it off as being new and anxious._

The other girl smiled, “Oh! Great!” she said, brimming with enthusiasm. “So, do you like archery?” she asked. “Oh, I’m Kiku Ishikawa.”

“Nozomi Toujou.” she replied with her new name. “I’m not sure about archery, I’ve been curious, but I never really tried it.” was the explanation she gave. _There, show interest, she’ll just be happy someone is interested in archery if I keep this up._ she thought.

“Do you want to try?” Kiku asked, walking towards the bow.

“I’m not dressed for it, am I?” Nozomi asked.

“It will be fine!” Kiku assured the new girl as she went to grab the bow again. Then she went to one of the spots on the range. “You hold the bow like this.” She said as she demonstrated. “Then you take the arrow, put it in place, aim, and release.” As she picked up an arrow, nocked it, and let it loose towards the target, hitting near the outer edge of the circle.

“I’m not sure I can do that.” Nozomi said. _Wait, no, I might be able to use this._ she thought before adding, “But I’ll try!” making sure to add as much enthusiasm as she could manage.

“Okay, walk up here and I’ll show you.” Kiku said.

Nozomi put down her tarot deck before walking over, taking her spot, and accepting the bow Kiku handed her. She tried to replicate the motions Kiku made. “This takes a lot more strength than I thought!” she said to Kiku. She took the arrow, nocked it, and released, only to watch the arrow fly a few meters and land on the ground well short of the target.

“It’s okay, you never tried before, but you could get pretty good if you joined the archery club this year!” Kiku said, making sure to take the opportunity to turn this into a sales pitch for her club. Then she looked over at the cards, “What are those?” She asked Nozomi.

“Oh, those are tarot cards. I do readings with them. They can give advice on what you should do in a situation, so if you ever have a problem where you need an idea of what to do you can talk to me and I’ll give you a reading. Especially since you were nice enough to show me this.” Nozomi offered. The cards were something she used to get to know people. She never really believed the cards had any paranormal ability to tell the future, but they were still useful. “Also, could you please take this bow back? It’s a bit heavier than it looks.”

Kiku took the bow back and put it away again. “It’s okay, it can be unwieldy to hold if you aren’t used to it.” Then she looked at the cards again, “I may have to take you up on that some time.”

“I’ll see you around!” Nozomi said cheerfully as she picked up her cards and turned to leave. “I need to keep going.”

“Okay, nice meeting you!” Kiku replied as Nozomi left.

_Well, that was perfectly normal._ Nozomi thought as she left. _Thankfully she only wanted to talk about archery. I should probably research what teenage girls do now._ She had more of Otonokizaka to explore, and so far all she knew was nothing at the school seemed too out of place.

\----

 

The man who sent the woman who assumed the identity Nozomi Toujou looked at the budget allocations for the next year. _This much money for the Otonokizaka operation? This must be an error._ He thought as he called his superior.

“Go ahead, Sasaki.” he heard when the call was answered.

“50 million yen is budgeted for the Otonokizaka operation for just this year? Was there a budgetary error?” Sasaki asked, perplexed at the number his budget presented him with.

“That number is correct.” the voice on the other side of the line said. “Whatever she needs, supply it to her. If she uses up the initial amount we will consider discretionary funds being allocated for the operation.”

“I do not mean to question the operation, but are there not more efficient ways to use 50 million yen? We could subsidize enrollment in the school for that amount.” Sasaki asked.

“We need to make Otonokizaka’s continued existence appear natural, lest we risk open conflict.” the voice explained.

“Yes, sir.” Sasaki finally said, capitulating to his superior. _Wouldn’t sending her to UTX be more useful?_ he thought. The other side of the line disconnected. Sasaki put the phone down. The decision to support the Otonokizaka operation had been made by someone higher than him. He sighed as he continued going through the budget, _I have operations other than Otonokizaka to worry about._ he concluded as he went about his work.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Given at this point in the story we're two years ahead of the time the Love Live anime starts and there's relatively little information on the cast before that point, not to mention most of the Love Live cast proper hasn't even started to attend Otonokizaka so there's quite a bit of space to fill. 
> 
> This is certainly a more ambitious work than anything else I have written in the past, and I am looking forward to writing it, but feel this will be a slower burning story, especially early on. I also feel the need to provide assurance I do have long term plans for this story, as these types of stories do poorly without some kind of advanced planning.
> 
> Comments are certainly appreciated. I know I do not reply to every comment I receive, but I make a point to read them all and am thankful to know people are looking forward to watching this story unfold.


	3. Chapter 3

_It’s a perfectly ordinary school._ Nozomi thought as she continued her visit of the Otonokizaka campus. By now she had toured the outside of the campus in its near entirety. She had not gone inside the main building yet but Nozomi did not seem too worried about that, _Standard high school design. I will be able to see plenty inside there in a couple of weeks._ she concluded.

It was at this point Nozomi noticed a woman in the distance with camera in hand, tapping on the screen every couple of seconds. _She’s the wrong age to be here, and the wrong clothes._ she observed as she looked at the woman. She appeared to be in her early twenties, wearing jeans and a tightly fitted shirt. _Too young to be a teacher, most likely, far too old to be a student._ With this conclusion drawn, she started walking in the direction of the woman.

Within a couple seconds of Nozomi’s steps in that direction, the woman started to run beyond the corner and out of Nozomi’s immediate sight. She thought of running to catch up, but ultimately did not end up moving more than her normal walking speed. _If I ran, I would only stand out more._ She remembered what one of her surveillance instructors had taught her, _There is a time when one must successfully trail the target, and times when one must remain undetected._ She sighed lightly as she walked to where she saw the woman standing originally. _Not being caught wins, well, maybe this is not hopeless after all._

Nozomi was not nearly as good at tracking as she would have liked, but she could still hear the sound of a woman running in the distance and walked in that direction. The sound of the running changed from the left to the right side of Nozomi’s hearing, but did not seem to be getting too much further away. _She’s trying to weave through buildings and foliage. Good thing she is making too much noise or I would be in a lot more trouble right now._ She smiled and took out her cards, trying to look like she’s more preoccupied with looking at them than actually trailing someone.

_Ah, there she is!_ Nozomi thought as she smiled, pleased that the woman was again within sight. Then she barely managed to hold back a giggle when she saw the phone was now in the woman’s back pocket. _You make it too easy._

Nozomi began to run, holding her deck of cards out. Within a couple seconds she had ran into the woman, dropping her cards on the ground in the still wind. “I’m very sorry!” she said quickly to the woman, then she looked at her cards scattered on the ground. “I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you help me with these before the wind carries them away? They’re very important to me.”

“Fine, fine.” the woman said as she knelt to begin picking up cards. Nozomi picks up all the cards in her immediate area, went behind the woman and deftly fished the phone from the woman’s back pocket. She quickly knelt back down to pick up cards.

After a minute, between the two women they had gathered the cards. The woman gave the cards she was holding back to Nozomi, “Be more careful where you’re going in the future.” she admonished.

“Of course, I’m very sorry! Thank you for the help!” Nozomi said with a bow, before turning and walking off. Then she smiled and whispered at her tarot deck, “You too.” Then she looked at her phone, _And now it is time to go before she realized anything is wrong._ With that thought, Nozomi ended her trip to Otonokizaka.

When she got home, Nozomi tried to activate the phone. “Passcode required.” She said. _Well so much for turning off tracking right away._ Then she looked at the back of the phone, _An integrated battery too? I don’t have any tools to take those out. More bad luck._ She sighed, walked up to her oven, opened it and put the phone in, and closed the oven. “A bit impromptu, but we wouldn’t want you telling anybody where you were now, would we?” she said to the phone, perhaps a bit more cheerful than she normally would have.

That night she sent a report to Sasaki with a request for equipment, the mystery of just what was on the phone would have to wait for a couple days.


	4. Chapter 4

Sasaki sat at his desk as he read reports. It was his job to serve as a handler to the operatives beneath him. Most of his time was spent reading reports, approving requisitions, denying requisitions, and compiling more succinct reports to send to his own superiors. Near the end of the day he finally read Nozomi’s report on the Otonokizaka operation.

_Less than two weeks in and she’s already requesting expensive hacking equipment?_ Sasaki thought as he sighed. Then he remembered the large budget, _Well, in that case, how do I deliver it?_ he asked himself. There were a number of delivery methods in the field, he could send someone out with a brush pass to get the equipment to her, dead drops for her to find, or even a more elaborate method. Then he smiled as he prepared a delivery method for the equipment requested.

\----

It had been a couple days since Nozomi visited Otonokizaka. A couple rather boring days. With the immediate prep work before school began done, reconnaissance of the campus completed, and a suspicious phone in her possession that she couldn’t access yet, there was not much else that could be done right away. _This is the part everyone leaves out about this line of work._ she thought, _They see the double lives, the action, the apprehension, the missions, but they fail to realize just how much waiting is involved._ She did the best she could with her time, spending most of it working out in her apartment. _At least once school starts I’ll have something to do regularly._

Then she heard a knock on her door. She looked through the peep hole to see who was outside, and saw it was a delivery. She opened the door. “Delivery for Nozomi Toujou.” he said.

She looked at the box, seeing that it was marked as being from her parents. “Aww, an early present for me!” she said cheerfully before signing for the package and taking it back inside.

Once inside she opened the package to see it was an electronic device with a plug for the phone she still kept in the oven with an attachment that could display digits. She smiled at this, opened the oven, plugged the device into her phone and activated it. After which she closed the oven again. _One part code to give me all the attempts I want at guessing the passcode, one part phone to be cracked, and one part something to guess all the potential passcodes. Bake at 450 degrees for a while and I’ll have a delicious cracked phone!_ she thought gleefully. Though now the waiting was even worse, knowing that she would have an answer to the question of what was on the phone soon.

A little under two hours later, Nozomi opened the oven to see the phone’s passcode had been solved: 05091905. _05091905? I wish I had gotten a better look at her._ she thought of the woman who she took the phone from. _She did have dark hair, but her skin was a little lighter than usual._ Nozomi had been too focused on getting the phone to take a good look at the woman who had the phone.

She took the phone out, quickly entering the passcode. _The operating system for the phone is running in Russian? Seriously?_ she thought, suppressing a laugh. It did take her a few extra seconds to find out how to disable GPS tracking on the phone due to the language change but it was done soon enough. _Hopefully no one detected that, but I should make this quick anyway._ she thought, regretting the fact she did not order some even more sophisticated computer equipment to investigate the phone more in depth.

First she went through the pictures. They were mostly of Otonokizaka, but nothing that could not be acquired through official promotional materials or a student posting pictures of the school online. “Call log, call log.” Nozomi said aloud as she went to see recent calls. No calls to this phone, but there were calls from it. She went to her computer and entered the numbers in a reverse phone number lookup directory, _Maybe I’ll get a hit._ she thought. Then she smiled as the first one hit, then the second, and finally the third. “One to Otonokizaka, the other two to other public high schools in the area.” While there were several private schools nearby, none of them were called from the phone Nozomi had.

Then the phone rang. It was a standard ringtone that came with the phone, nothing particularly special about it. Nozomi looked to see who was calling, but saw the number was blocked. She quickly slid her finger to the red section of the screen to refuse the call. “And it is time to go.” she said with sudden urgency. She hurried back to Otonokizaka, turned on the GPS tracking, and planted the phone in a bush near where she ran into the woman. Then she hurried off back to her apartment to file another report.

\----

Sasaki read the report, then picked up the phone to call his superior.

“Go ahead, Sasaki.” the voice on the other end said.

“Analysis from a phone is back, with calls to other public high schools in the nearby area, no private schools.” Sasaki reported.

“That is not surprising. They can coopt the private schools with money. Public schools are a bit more difficult for them.” the voice explained.

“The other two schools are still doing reasonably well, Otonokizaka is the most likely to fail, should we not focus our efforts on the other two schools instead?” Sasaki asked.

“Director Minami may have the weakest school in the area, but she is also the one we have deemed least likely to be subverted.” the voice explained. “We have absolute faith in Director Minami to do her part, all we need is for your operative to protect from more direct threats.” With that, the line went dead.

_He’s so resolute on Otonokizaka. It’s troubling. If he would listen we could still change the placement from Otonokizaka to somewhere else, but this is the last week we could do it._ Sasaki thought as he continued with yet another report from a different operation. It was no use complaining about how his superiors wanted things ran for the Otonokizaka operation.


	5. Chapter 5

Opening ceremonies bored Nozomi. It was all speeches she had heard before. The names of those giving the speeches and the exact words may change from place to place, but it was ultimately the same speeches to encourage students to focus on their studies, to take part in club activities, and to cultivate a certain culture at a given school.

What was noteworthy to Nozomi, however, was how the chairs filled by students only took up a small portion of the auditorium. The number of students enrolled at Otonokizaka had decreased significantly from its peak. There were four classes for the third year students, but only three classes each for the first and second years.

Classes were easy enough, given the material covered concepts and information that she had already mastered years ago. The greatest threat to Nozomi in the classroom was the boredom. She would have to decide on a longer term strategy for managing classes, but for now observation was sufficient. Now that classes had already started, she had managed to see the internal structure of the Otonokizaka buildings. _Well, no secret passages or anything too obvious._ Nozomi thought, _That would have been too easy._ she mentally lamented to herself.

Then it was one word during lunch that grabbed her focus, “Khorosho.” Her eyes immediately sought out the source of the sound. _Russian._ her mind immediately thought. She saw the one blonde student, surrounded by several other girls as she ate her lunch. _Eli Ayase. I can see why she is popular. Certainly stands out in a way that could be found to be attractive._ She made a mental note to get close to her, but that would be difficult right now.

Nozomi spent the afternoon thinking about how to get closer to Eli, running several scenarios through her mind. _She is the best lead I have on what is going on, but I will need to isolate her. Unfortunately her popularity with the other girls will make that difficult. This will take some time._ she realized.

By the time school had ended that day, she was ready to trail Eli in the hopes she could get her alone. Unfortunately, by the time she was ready to leave the classroom she saw the girl she met at the archery range enter the room and approach her. “Do you have your cards with you?” she asked quickly. “I need advice!”

“Of course!” Nozomi said, hiding her irritation with the interruption with a veneer of cheerfulness. _Of course, I get a lead and immediately lose an opportunity to use it. Well, hopefully Eli will be in this class for some time so it is not urgent._ she thought. With that she took out her cards. “I know this isn’t ideal, but if you need it done that quickly we can do it here.”

“Yes!” Kiku replied, as though she were in a hurry.

“Then we will do a three card reading.” Nozomi explains as she took out her cards, shuffled them, and placed them down. “Cut the deck.” she told Kiku. Kiku complied quickly. From there Nozomi placed the cards on the table. “Is this about love?” Nozomi asked. Kiku replied with a nod. Nozomi smiled, “Then let us begin.”

“The first card is The Hanged Man in reverse position.” Nozomi explained as she put the first card on the table. The second card was the 5 of Cups. Finally, the third card was the 8 of Wands reversed. “Hm.” Nozomi uttered aloud, making a production of looking like she was thinking a great deal about what the cards meant, even if she already knew. “I need a moment for the cards to explain themselves to me.” She said with a smile. About 15 seconds later, she said, “Allow me to explain. The Hanged Man in reverse position indicates that you are at a crossroads, or that you have a preconceived notion of a relationship you need to let go of. The 5 of Cups indicates that you are nearing a transition phase in a relationship, the beginning or, in this case, an ending. Then the 8 of Wands reversed advises against jealousy, at this time it is important that you be self-sufficient.”

Kiku nodded slowly, her expression looking depressed as Nozomi explained all of this to her. “I… you’re right, I do need to think about this. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but thank you.” she said quietly. Shortly after she left the room.

As Nozomi collected the cards and shuffled them back into her deck the other girls still in the room looked at her, “You can do Tarot?” one asked. “That is so cool!” another said. “Can you do mine next?” a third one said, followed by other girls requesting readings be done for them as well.

“No more today.” Nozomi said, sounding sad about it. “I need time to recover between readings.” she offered up quickly. “But I will do a reading for everyone eventually, okay?” she said, trying to appease the girls. They eventually agreed and let Nozomi leave, unfortunately by that time Eli had already left and Nozomi did not know where to start looking for her.

_I might as well go home. I will have a chance eventually, until then I need to be prepared for any other possibilities._ she concluded, heading back to her apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I can put Eli in the tags! She should become more prominent in upcoming chapters, but for now, she is introduced.


	6. Chapter 6

Within a week of the reading Nozomi did for Kiku, it was well known throughout Otonokizaka that she could perform tarot readings. This lead to a sudden surge of popularity. Ultimately Nozomi had to limit the readings to two a day, one during lunch and one immediately after school.

At first her readings were rather vague, consisting of general life advice based on the cards. _Young girls are surprisingly easy to impress._ Nozomi thought. _I suppose this is not the worst possible outcome._ Over the next few days, she made a point to overhear her classmates talk about whatever was concerning them, utilizing this information in their readings when it was their turn. _If I must perform readings for everyone, I should make the best of it, and maybe they will learn something in the process._ she often thought as she performed the readings.

Still, this did very little to get her closer to Eli, who was not oblivious to the readings, but showed no interest in receiving one herself. _I just need a few minutes alone with her._ Nozomi often thought. _To approach her would be easy, but her popularity means she’s almost never alone, yet these days I am often not alone myself._ Eli was always surrounded by classmates at lunch and she always left quickly after school, as far as Nozomi knew.

Over the next couple weeks, Nozomi did occasionally look over at Eli during lunch. She noticed she would occasionally hear a sharp word or phrase from Eli. At first she received a great deal of attention for her appearance, but fewer people spent time with her as the days went on. _Her façade is terrible._ Nozomi realized. _She can’t hide her dislike of many of the people around her. She clashes with others. This will take more time, but it will work itself out._

One day, as she saw Eli leave after classes were over, she gathered her things in a hurry. “I’m sorry, I must leave early today!” she said quickly before leaving the room. With that she walked as quickly as she could, hurrying behind Eli until she went down a stairwell. Nozomi followed. Finally Eli was a few steps ahead of her, _She’s alone!_ Nozomi thought enthusiastically.

“Excuse me!” Nozomi said loudly, making a production of breathing heavily like she just strained herself to catch up to Eli.

Eli turned around, looking up at Nozomi, “Who are you?” she asked. It sounded more like a question rooted in indignation rather than actual ignorance, rhetorical in nature.

“I… I’m Nozomi Toujou!” the woman responded.

“And what do you want?” Eli asked, less than pleased by this intrusion upon her leaving the building.

_How do I reach her?_ Nozomi frantically asked herself, as she realized the directness of Eli’s questions meant the plan she came up with earlier would no longer work. “Do you like parfaits?” she asked. _Please say you like parfaits._ she pleaded mentally.

“Are you trying to mock me? You already have every other girl in class wanting one of your readings. Even if I wanted anything to do with you I would have to wait a month just to get on your schedule.” Eli replied. “How generous of you to speak with me.” she said sarcastically.

“You’re different from the other girls!” Nozomi explained quickly. “Have a parfait with me, please?” she asked quietly. “I’ll pay, of course.”

“Fine, one parfait.” Eli relented.

It was then Nozomi had a clear look at Eli’s eyes, her irises and pupils were covered by a clear disc. _Contacts._ she concluded. “Okay!” she replied to Eli cheerfully.

\----

Nozomi made a point to make it clear to Eli she could order whatever she wanted off of the menu. While Eli was busy with the menu, Nozomi looked at Eli’s hair. _I wonder if she has dark roots._ she thought. After a few seconds of looking she was unsure. The newest grown hair was slightly darker than the blonde color that made up most of Eli’s hair, but it was not enough to make a definitive conclusion yet.

After the parfaits were ordered Nozomi spoke up again, “I know you mentioned it earlier, but would you like a reading of your own? Since you were nice enough to have a parfait with me I won’t make you wait in line.”

“Do they work?” Eli asked, showing interest in the possibility but not committing to it yet.

“It depends. Tarot is about looking inside yourself for answers you need. The cards are a guide, and all I do is help you understand the information the cards are telling you.” Nozomi explained.

“I never saw cards like yours before I moved here.” Eli admits. “I’m not sure if I should try it.”

“Well, there’s no harm in trying, is there? It will only take a few minutes, and we are already alone so no one else will know that I gave you a reading. It will be a secret between us, okay?” Nozomi asked with a smile.

“In that case, I guess it wouldn’t be bad to try it.” Eli admitted.

Then the parfaits arrived, the discussion stopped as the two enjoyed their parfaits. After they were done and the table was cleared, Nozomi took out her deck of cards and placed them on the table. “To begin with you will need to cut the deck.”

“Okay.” Eli agreed.

As Eli’s hand moved toward the deck to cut it, Nozomi smiled. _And now the real work may begin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's another short chapter, but the next chapter is going to be a detailed reading for Eli, and I want to be able to give it the attention it deserves.


	7. Chapter 7

Nozomi watched as Eli cut the deck, her hands moving slowly, grasping at a point near the middle and lifting half the cards up. _She hit the right spot._ Nozomi thought as she smiled. Nozomi had prepared the deck with a slight indentation halfway through the deck, just off enough that a finger would naturally choose that point to cut the cards.

Nozomi drew the first card, “The Hermit in reverse.” she announced to Eli as she placed it down. _It is the right card!_ she thought excitedly. “Allow me to explain, in this position, The Hermit in reverse is about the need to not be alone. Someone in your position fears allowing others to see your vulnerabilities. You can feel alone even if you are surrounded by others, but it is important for others to see your vulnerabilities, otherwise it is difficult to connect with others.”

Eli frowned as Nozomi explained the first card to her, but after that she began watching Nozomi’s hands and the cards much more intensely, showing much more interest than she had before the card had been drawn. “What is the next card?” she asked.

“Patience.” Nozomi replied. “It takes time for the cards to provide guidance, you should not hurry these things unless absolutely necessary.” She then drew the second card, “The World in reverse.” She announced as she placed it down. _The second card I needed, it looks like prepared the deck correctly._ she thought.

“What does that mean?” Eli asked, her eyes fixated on the card.

“No need to rush. The World in reverse is about completion, finishing something. You could also interpret it as an ending. Do you feel you are being recognized enough for your achievements?” Nozomi asked.

“I… don’t know.” Eli said quietly.

“Then you should consider if your work is properly appreciated. If not, what is stopping your achievements from being recognized? Or perhaps you feel you are not making sufficient progress. In that case you should consider why you are not making progress. Perhaps the third card will help me explain this some more.” Nozomi explained, with that, she drew and placed the third card. _Just the reading I wanted._ she thought, though in this context she had the sense to hold back a smile.

“Five of Pentacles?” Eli asked. “What does that mean?” By now she was engrossed in the reading, her previous disinterest all but forgotten.

“In the context of the other two cards, the Five of Pentacles in a regular position suggests that you feel isolated, alone. If you need help or assistance, you should ask for one, but in the context of the other two cards it emphasizes the need to reach out.” Nozomi explained.

Eli nodded again. “Maybe I am alone.” she said quietly.

“The cards do not indicate you are going to be lonely forever, but you do need to reach out to someone. That person could be right in front of you and you may not even know it.” Nozomi suggested. “The cards provide advice. They told me I should do a special reading just for you when we were alone, which is why I sought you out.”

“They can do that?” Eli asked.

“Of course they can! That is what makes them so wonderful.” Nozomi said.

“But you are always surrounded at school, everyone but me has reached out to you.” Eli pointed out.

“Do you remember at the beginning, Elichi? You were always surrounded but others, but did any of them truly reach out to you, or did they want to use you?” Nozomi asked. “Everyone wants readings, but do you truly think they want me? There is a difference. The cards told me you would be someone who understood, and I agreed.”

Eli couldn’t help but smile when Nozomi called her Elichi. It was so different from the formal forms of address everyone else had used with her, it made her feel special that she was addressed in such a personal way. “So, can I ask you?” she asked, slowly and quietly, anxious of the response.

“Of course you can, that is why I did all of this for you.” Nozomi said with a bright smile, her tone cheerful now.

“So do you want to get another parfait this weekend?” Eli asked, still anxious.

“Of course I will have another one with you!” Nozomi replied. “Do you feel better now?”

“I… do.” Eli admitted. “I know why everyone comes to you now, I didn’t understand before but I do now.”

_A perfect reading._ Nozomi thought. She collected the cards, shuffled them back into her deck, and whispered to them, “Thank you.”

“You thank the cards?” Eli asked.

“Of course, when someone helps you, you should thank them, right? It is the same way with the cards.” Nozomi explained. She then gave Eli her phone number, “Text me and let me know it’s you, okay? I’ll see you Sunday.”

With that, Nozomi left, her phone beeping a minute later with a text from Eli. _Breaking fifteen year old girls is so unpleasant, but it had to be done._ she thought. She felt a pang of guilt, but after a reminder that she had an objective to accomplish the guilt ceased to bother her. _You have to get comfortable with the idea of people doing bad things for good reasons, doing good things for bad reasons. You do the best you can._ she reminded herself, one of her trainers had quoted it once and it stuck with her.

 ----

Eli hurried home after Nozomi left, her face an imitation of stone as she held back tears the entire way. Once there, she was relieved to realize she was alone. She went into her bedroom and started sobbing, “Why? Why did I let some fifteen year old girl get to me? How could she see through me?” trying to make sense of her meeting with Nozomi earlier. “How did I let her see through me? It was like she understood.” _At least I have Sunday to look forward to._ she thought as her emotionally fatigued body fell asleep after some time.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day Nozomi returned to school. Her day was typical, listen to lectures she already knew, submit assignments she intentionally put wrong answers on to keep her academics at only slightly above average, and perform more readings for classmates who wanted them. Still, she couldn’t help but notice Eli was significantly more melancholy today.  _It is one thing to romantically manipulate someone you know is causing harm, it really is different to emotionally harm a young girl who has only misfortune is to likely be connected to someone that has information I need._ she considered as she looked over. It wasn’t guilt over her actions so much as it was awareness. Nozomi fully understood the nature of her work, she knew she would have to do things she did not like and that were even distasteful, but it did not mean she was oblivious to the harm she could cause for others.

While Nozomi reflected on the nature of her work, Eli instead reflected on how alone she felt. Other girls in class would come up to Eli and say something to her during lunch, but it was all she could do to manage some nodding and lukewarm agreement.  _We are given training. We are taught what to do in the face of danger, what to do if interrogated, how not to break. There should be no problems with the preparation work done. Why is it a young girl that sees right through me?_ It was a line of thought Eli couldn’t escape. It repeated in her head during lectures, during lunch, after school as she went home. The only thing she could do to quell the thoughts was remind herself,  _It will be better on Sunday._

Soon enough the week ended and Sunday came. Nozomi prepared for it similar to how she prepared for school in the morning. The application of makeup to mask most of the facial signs of aging she had experienced, checking her hair to make sure it still looked as it should, and relaxing.  _It’s so strange. I know how to appear youthful to keep the attention of an older man, but young girls are completely different. I suppose it is difficult to go too wrong with another parfait for her, but I really need to learn more about her interests._  she thought before she left.

Eli’s preparation was more frantic. She made sure her contacts were in, she put her hair up in a ponytail, and was generally concerned about being late to meet Nozomi.  _I can’t believe I’m this anxious over spending time with a young girl._ she thought bitterly as she prepared. Ultimately she ended up leaving in a hurry so that she could meet Nozomi on time.

\----

Eli was already at the parfait place by the time Nozomi showed up. “Oh, hello! I’m glad you made it!” she said loudly with plenty of excitement as she hurried towards Eli. “You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”  _Am I really supposed to phrase it that way with a girl younger than me?_ she asked herself immediately after she said it, but decided against correcting herself.

“Oh, no, I just got here, I wanted to make sure you weren’t kept waiting.” Eli explained. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you since last time.” she admitted. “You’re so hard to actually talk to at school.”

“It’s okay. It is hard to get time alone together at school most of the time, isn’t it?” Nozomi replied before going inside. Eli followed quickly enough.

After the parfaits were ordered Nozomi asked, “Do you have any hobbies, Eli? I noticed you always leave so early but I didn’t think you were in any clubs.”

“Oh, there’s nothing I’m particularly interested in. Otonokizaka does not have the best selection of clubs, especially since the school is getting smaller.” Eli replied.

“You noticed that too?” Nozomi asked.

“It is hard not to notice when such a large auditorium is so empty during the opening speeches.” Eli explained.

_I need to direct this conversation somewhere useful._ Nozomi thought as she listened to Eli. “Have you ever travelled?” she asked.

“To Russia a few times. My family always talks about how much things have changed, but I could not tell you the difference between visits.” Eli answered.

“It changed so much, but that was before we were born.” Nozomi replied.

“Mother used to mention stories about it. She said that was part of why she came here, because it was so bad. Supposedly father had not been paid in years by then. It is better now, she insists, but she still does not want to go back. Sometimes she would tell me how much history the country had. She misses it, but she said it is better that we live here now.” Eli explained.  _I probably said too much._ Eli reflected after she finished speaking,  _Thankfully these are just simple childhood stories to a girl her age._

_I need to meet her father, somebody was paying him when the government was not and knowing who would be useful._ Nozomi immediately thought. “Do you spend time with your family?”

“Of course, I do live with them. My parents are often busy but I do see them.” Eli explained.

“That is wonderful! I envy you, Elichi.” Nozomi offered in a tone of confession.

The parfaits arrived shortly after that. “I hope classes are going well for you.” Eli said, changing the subject. The two talked about life at Otonokizaka for the rest of the afternoon. Nozomi thought it best to not pry for more personal information after the things Eli had already told her.

\----

That night Sasaki received a report from Nozomi. “Detailed information on the Ayase family? A possible link with a former Soviet connection?” he said quietly. “If only it were that simple.” With that he picked up the phone and dialed.

“Go ahead Sasaki.” the familiar voice on the other hand answered.

“It’s time to bring her in and explain some things about the Otonokizaka operation.” Sasaki said.

“That is compartmentalized information, she is not cleared for it.” the voice on the other end said.

“She’s one step away from bringing us under investigation from both the Japanese and the Russians.” Sasaki replied.

“Very well, Sasaki, I will authorize her to be cleared for a limited amount of information.” With that the line went dead.

Sasaki crafted a reply instructing her with a location to meet for a detailed briefing.


	9. Chapter 9

Nozomi received the message directing her to a meeting with Sasaki. _Well there we go, maybe he will decide to explain things a bit better. Evidently I beat_ _the right bush and drew out an interesting snake._ Preparation for the meeting was certainly not her new routine. She took her hair and prepared it so it could go under a wig of straight black hair similar to the kind she had before she accepted this assignment. When she went to do her makeup she almost instinctively did it like she usually did, _No, I need to look like myself again._ she thought. Finally she put on her dark suit with the skirt ending just above the knee with the white blouse. “Ah, this feels nice for a change.” she allowed herself to say aloud.

Assuming a role for a long length of time was inherently stressful. At first the challenge lies in memorizing the legend, the details of her assumed identity. Later as time goes on the challenge is in maintaining the identity and remaining sane in the process. A chance to be herself again, if only for a short meeting, was quite welcome to her.

Nozomi arrived at the office building, the kind with several small offices in it that needed a physical presence but never had much in the way of people actually showing up. One of these offices was where Sasaki worked, and it was that door she went to. “I’m here for Sasaki.” she said to the receptionist, who nodded and directed her towards an office down the corridor.

“Reporting as requested.” she said to Sasaki, as she walked in.

“Close the door behind you and have a seat, Natsuko.” Sasaki replied.

She paused for a moment, instinctively looking around her for someone else. Within a second, however, she registered that Sasaki was indeed talking to her. “It has been some time since anyone called me that. It is a relief.” she admitted as she closed the door and took a seat.

“Natsuko Yamashita.” Sasaki said. “We are generally pleased with your efforts and vigilance with the Otonokizaka operation.”

“Thank you, sir.” Natsuko responded.

“However, your most recent report has concerned us, and it is the opinion of my superiors now that it is critical that you receive additional information on your assignment.” Sasaki started. “I will provide you what information I can regarding the Ayase family, but first it is essential that I put it into the proper context.

“The general objectives of the Otonokizaka operation is to end and prevent the subversion of Japanese educational institutions by hostile external forces. Unfortunately due to the nature of the Japanese educational system, there are a large number of private institutions. Many of these are influenced by the money provided by these external forces. In this case we have given the code name Cardinal to the group involved in this case.” Sasaki continued to explain.

“Yes, sir, I understand that. Where does Otonokizaka factor into this?” Natsuko asked.

“I am getting to that. Otonokizaka is a public school, one on the decline, unfortunately. Its nature as a public school means it is harder for Cardinal to subvert, but it is possible. Instead, since it takes such a great deal of effort to gain control of a public school their efforts are focused on suffocating these schools of their students. As you have seen with Otonokizaka.” Sasaki continued.

“What is their goal?” Natsuko asked.

“In this case, with the schools, they intend to use them as recruiting grounds to identify potential future members with potential. After an assessment of their suitability, they will offer them access to their vast financial resources. Many of their operatives work in public institutions, further cementing their power, but naturally some are involved in private ventures to provide Cardinal the money they need for their operations.” Sasaki explained.

“So why Russians?” Natsuko asked next. “Would it not make more sense to use Japanese?”

“You are indeed perceptive, Natsuko.” Sasaki observed. “Yes, Japanese operatives are ideal here, however it is only recently they have been able to sustain operations of any scale in Japan, so they generally suffer from a shortage of Japanese operatives. The Russians are used for a simple reason. As you know, almost 20 years ago the Soviet Union fell, meaning a great deal of trained spies, counter-intelligence operatives, and secret police with few marketable skills outside of conducting covert operations and surveillance were no longer receiving a paycheck. Cardinal approached many of these people, recruited them, and sent some of them here. Their organization is worldwide, but many of their operatives our former Eastern Bloc due to availability.”

“Hence the Ayase family.” Natsuko said.

“The Ayase family is a strange case.  The mother was the former operative, she moved to Japan afterwards and married. We believe her husband is aware of her affiliations and is sympathetic to Cardinal. Our intelligence indicates Eli Ayase is their daughter. She was likely trained during trips to Russia in facilities controlled by Cardinal. A second generation operative.”

“Sending a fifteen year old girl out? Eli said it was her father that was unpaid, not the mother.” Natsuko asked next.

“We have no reason to believe that is the case, but we will investigate. This is simply the best information we have, should alterations need to be made we will let you know.” Sasaki said. “The point is we can not have you go directly investigating her parents. While you may fool the daughter, the mother is likely far more perceptive and contact with her should be avoided, you are too valuable in this operation to risk on such an activity. We believe the best course of action is for you to persuade the daughter to serve as a double agent.”

“She has proven vulnerable, so it should be possible.” Natsuko replied.

“Yes, your prior reports have indicated as much.” Sasaki agreed. “Naturally we will continue to provide you support as needed.”

“Thank you sir.” Natsuko said.

“You are dismissed.” Sasaki said, ending the meeting.

With that, Natsuko returned home, staying in for the rest of the day as she did not want to redo her makeup. The next morning, she prepared her clothes, hair, and makeup as Nozomi once again. On leaving the apartment she saw one of her neighbors greet her, “Good morning!”

“Good morning!” Nozomi replied cheerfully.

“You had a visitor yesterday?” the neighbor asked.

“Oh, yes, my mother stopped by to check on me but left late last night.” Nozomi explained before beginning her journey to Otonokizaka for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to provide at least some answers to some of the early questions, and have finally had the opportunity to do so here. This also sets up the next set of chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

Eli’s day began as it always did, with her waking up, applying makeup, putting her hair up, and walking to Otonokizaka. She had adjusted to the routine itself to the point where acting it out was utterly mundane. It was never the routine which troubled Eli, it was her classmates.

She knew her more mature appearance and an exotic look for Japan would bring her attention. She also knew that attention grated on her. Eli would often listen to girls who came around to eat with her during lunch, relationships being a common topic. _This is the third boy you talked about in three months._ Eli thought, annoyed at one girl in particular this day. _You’ll celebrate being together a week, then a month, then when the honeymoon phase ends you’ll break up with him for some inane reason because you have no clue how to actually manage a relationship._

The conversations were so inane, so superficial, so meaningless. Eli was surrounded regularly, but it only served to emphasize how alone she was, how impossible it was to relate to these younger girls. _It wasn’t so long ago I was a student myself, yet it feels like forever. It’s like we live in different worlds_ was a constant thought she had during classes. The classes themselves were easy to the point of boredom, even if they were being taught in Japanese instead of her native Russian.

Yet there was one girl who understood, who took more than a superficial interest in her. Sure, Nozomi was six years younger, but she was the closest thing Eli had to a friend. As much as her training tried to warn her away from getting too close to someone, the feeling of the warmth of friendship from Nozomi put Eli in a difficult position. It was like Nozomi could see her loneliness, and she didn’t mind that Eli often came off as cold to others after a time.

Today, like the other days, Eli left after classes ended right away. Nozomi said she didn’t have time to spend with her today, but she would be available again this weekend. _Why do I get excited about the time I get to spend with her?_ Eli would often ask herself. She would often think about this for a few seconds, but it often ended with the same conclusion, _She’s mature enough to not annoy me with inane things, she takes an interest in me, but she’s also young enough that she is not dangerous._ The last part was likely the most important to Eli. She could afford to take the risks involved with spending time with Nozomi because it was safe. At least she would get to see Nozomi again in a couple days.

\----

For this Saturday with Nozomi Eli decided to try out a more mature look. She wore jeans, a tightly fitted shirt and left her straight blonde hair down. _It feels good, being able to dress like this. I feel like me, at least._ She did her makeup just enough to hide major signs of aging. _Maybe Nozomi will understand why I like a mature look._ she thought, justifying her appearance.

Eli was supposed to meet Nozomi at a park today. She was dressed in a light violet top with a long purple skirt flowing to her feet. Nozomi immediately ran up to Eli as she saw her, “You look so good today! Did you do something different?” _Ah, wearing those clothes, I saw someone wearing them during my first trip there. I could have been sure she looked older, but she does have a mature look to her._ Nozomi thought as she greeted the Russian girl.

“Oh, the girls at school already think I look mature, if they saw me like this they wouldn’t believe it.” Eli said with a laugh. “I think it’s fun to look a little older sometimes, don’t you?” she asked.

“I guess it could be fun to try sometime, Elichi.” Nozomi said, using the familiar form of address that seemed to endear Eli to her in the first place. “You’ll have to help me out, I’m not sure how good I would be at it.”

“You look more mature than most girls in our class anyways. It isn’t that hard, really!” Eli insisted, rather enthusiastically. _Oops, I got too carried away again._ she thought afterwards, but then continued anyway. “Shorter hair, a more natural color, a little bit of makeup and you would look good.” _Maybe it’s okay to get carried away with this._ Eli thought. “We should go shopping for a more mature look for you sometime! It will be fun!”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Nozomi asked. “I mean, wouldn’t it be trouble if we looked too mature?”

“I don’t think so. Well, we might have to fend off some attention, but we’re used to that already. It would be better to have attention looking more mature.” Eli offered. “Besides, we’re different from our classmates, we are more mature than them, so we should enjoy the benefits of it because I am tired of hearing about month long romances, aren’t you tired of reading for them?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t say I tire of them, but many of the readings have several things in common, but isn’t that normal for others our age, Elichi?” Nozomi asked. _She is pushing this idea abnormally hard. I need to know why._ Nozomi thought. “Why be in such a rush to be mature anyway?”

“Your reading for me explained things. It said I was lonely, it said I needed to reach out to someone. I realized afterwards I reached out to you because you were the only one who seemed to understand and give words to the feelings I felt.” Eli explained. “And I realized it was because we’re both more mature than the rest of our class. That’s why I opened up to you.”

_She reached for maturity after the reading as well. A few unintended consequences can not be helped._ Nozomi thought, “Okay. I won’t cut my hair or dye it back or anything, but if you can help me look more mature I suppose it could be a fun outing sometime.”

“We’ll do it soon, promise?” Eli said, suddenly cheerful as Nozomi tentatively agreed to her idea.

“I promise.” Nozomi agreed.

_It is so nice to not have to act too young around her. I’m glad I met her._ Eli thought to herself.

_I suppose it will turn out okay. She’ll be ready to open up to me soon enough. Poor girl is in over her head and I will be the one to make her suffer for it, a pity._ Nozomi thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like after a chapter of heavy exposition it would be a good opportunity to spend some more time exploring the Nozomi/Eli relationship, and give Eli some more time to be in focus. I'm not sure if spending a lot of time developing the relationship will take away from any momentum the story has, but thankfully it is not too fast paced, so it should not be too much trouble to give a critical relationship the development time it deserves.


	11. Chapter 11

Nozomi had been thinking about how to handle Eli’s request to go shopping for a more mature look for her. She had already agreed to it, but it was a matter of how to proceed. _I would be surprised if my hair in its current state would ever allow for a mature look._ she thought with a slight smile. _Still, it is possible Eli Ayase is more capable than previously thought._

Soon enough it was another weekend, and Eli met up with Nozomi. Nozomi only did enough makeup to cover the most basic signs of her age, and let her hair with extensions flow straight down her back rather than the twin tail look she normally cultivated. _Some days I wonder why I chose this as part of my cover._ she lamented.

Eli seemed in high spirits today, “Nozomi! We’re going to get you a new mature look!” She then closed in on Nozomi, who tensed up as Eli greeted her with a hug today. She then felt Nozomi’s hair, patting it then letting go of Nozomi. “Extensions?” she asked.

Nozomi looked down, doing her best to look embarrassed. “Please don’t tell everyone?” she asked quietly. “It’s embarrassing.” Then she added, “I won’t tell anyone blonde isn’t your natural color either, okay?”

Eli smiled, “Okay, it’ll be another secret between us.” she agreed. “The long purple hair is a bit of a problem, but it’s dark, so it might be okay.” She then walked around Nozomi, looking her over closely, “Your country is strange, preferring youth by such a wide margin.” she commented, “I still prefer the mature look. What do I see you as?” she asked aloud. Nozomi opened her mouth to answer but Eli spoke again before she could say anything, “Did you ever think about what you would do when you are older?” she asked.

_Too bad “Stop troublemakers like you” is not a good answer._ Nozomi thought before managing to laugh a little bit, “Oh, I don’t know. I didn’t really think about it.”

“I have an idea, then.” Eli suggests. “Follow me.”

\----

Soon enough Nozomi found herself being led by Eli to a place selling high end professional clothing. She looked around, knowing all the clothing here was quite expensive, “Eli, there’s no way I can afford this.” she said quietly.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, my treat, okay?” Eli said quickly afterwards, her tone was cheerful, as though the expense wasn’t worth thinking about.

Nozomi nodded in silence. _Well if I needed confirmation something was strange about her, that was it. She’s certainly paid quite well if she’s not worried about the cost of anything here._ she thought. _Looks like I won’t be able to just offer her money to help us._

Eli then walked off, within a couple minutes she was back and handed Nozomi some clothes. “Go, try these on.” she said.

Nozomi went to a changing room, a few minutes later she came out. She was dressed in a grey knee length pencil skirt and white silk blouse. “How… do I look?” she asked timidly.

“I like it, it would be better with shorter hair, but I understand, maybe you’ll grow into it. Do you want it?” Eli asked. Nozomi was going to respond but Eli interrupted again, “Don’t worry, you can buy parfaits for us on the way home, then it will be fair.” _Nozomi has the right instincts. In a few years she would make a very nice recruit. She even came to me!_ Eli thought, momentarily elated. _What young girl would not be tempted by a friend with money?_

“I… it’s nice, but I really shouldn’t.” Nozomi replied. “I mean, isn’t this expensive, there’s no way I could make it up to you with just a parfait.” She kept her voice quiet.

“I insist.” Eli replied. “Just make sure I can see you wear it every once in a while. I think you look great in it!”

_What young girl would not be impressed at this display of generosity from a friend?_ Nozomi asked herself before relenting. “Okay.” she agreed.

Shortly later Nozomi changed out of the clothes, Eli paid for them and the two girls left.

\----

Soon enough, the two women were at a table waiting for parfaits again. “Why do we always get parfaits together?” Nozomi asked.

“Well, it was how we met. It feels like some kind of tradition now.” Eli replied. “Besides, who doesn’t like parfaits?”

“I suppose it is not a bad tradition.” Nozomi agreed as the parfaits arrived.

\----

After they separated, Nozomi walked home. _We’re trying to recruit each other._ she reflected. _Why does she want me? Does she know? Does she suspect something? Or am I simply the kind of person they’re looking for?_ she asked herself. _Even if she does know, I am not without advantages of my own in this situation. I wonder if she has some reason other than money._

\----

As Eli returned to her own home, she reflected on the day as well. “At least I’m alone tonight.” she whispered as she went to her room.

_Why is it always like this?_ Eli asked herself as she started sobbing again, she threw her head into a pillow to muffle the sound. _Every time I get close to someone I’m ordered to recruit them. It’s not fair! What am I recruiting them for? Money? Money that I can’t ever really use? Why can’t I just enjoy a normal high school life for a while? Why couldn’t they order me to recruit someone so superficial that all it would take is a little money to buy them? But I have to follow orders or-_ Eli shuddered suddenly, after that it was all she could do to keep from finishing a thought that horrified her too much to even contemplate.


	12. Chapter 12

Nozomi had a couple days since her last outing with Eli to reflect on how that day went. There was still the uncertainty of how much Eli knew about her, if her cover was broken, and why she was being targeted for recruitment. _Just what level of resources does this organization have, anyway?_ she asked herself. It had always been understood that Cardinal had a significant level of resources, but it wasn’t until Eli spent that much money on one outing that she started to try and quantify that number.

_Yen, even in the billions, can be surprisingly little._ Nozomi thought. _One billion is plenty for a family to live well for a generation. Ten billion, used well, can allow a family to live well for generations, but even one hundred billion is not enough for sustained operations._ She then began to get dressed for the day. _So they have at least trillions available to them._ she concluded, letting that thought rest as her day began.

\----

Eli was waiting for Nozomi at the school gate. It was now a regular enough occurrence it did not strike Nozomi as unusual in any way. “Good morning!” Eli said to Nozomi with a wave.

Nozomi ran a short distance to meet up with Eli. “Good morning!” she said in reply as they began walking towards the classrooms.

“Are you free this weekend?” Eli asked.

“Of course, I don’t know what we could do though.” Nozomi replied.

“Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.” Eli said with a smile. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“Okay!” Nozomi agreed. _I have to let her feel like she’s in control. This is always the hard part._ she thought. Then she saw a short girl passing out fliers, she turned to look in that direction but Eli suddenly stopped her.

“Don’t bother.” Eli said, surprisingly firm on this point. A tone of disdain that was unusual for their conversations together.

“Why is that?” Nozomi asked.

“It’s just someone trying to form a school idol club. Complete amateurs.” Eli continued.

“What makes you say that?” was Nozomi’s next question.

“They have no training in real performance. There is no comparison, not even to my experience.” Eli explained.

“You used to dance?” Nozomi asked as the two continued walking past.

“Ballet.” Eli answered. “I can show you sometime, but there were many even better than me. A school idol would have no chance of competing.”

“If you say so, Elichi.” Nozomi agreed, letting the matter drop for now.

\----

Another couple days of classes passed and it was the weekend again. This time the two were meeting in a park.

“Elichi!” Nozomi said cheerfully with a wave as Eli approached.

Eli had her phone out. “I know I mentioned it earlier this week, so I thought I’d show you. I had the old tapes digitized so I could play them on my phone.” she explained and started the video once Nozomi could see the screen.

Nozomi started to watch, the video was of a young girl, presumably about six years old, performing ballet. “Is this you?” she asked Eli.

“When I was younger, yes.” Eli confirmed.

The video continued to play, but it was now the background that got Nozomi’s attention. The writing was in Russian, but she could make it out, _1995? As in the year?_ she asked herself as she read it. Then she smiled, “Oh, this is impressive!” she said excitedly. _And it is also impressive that you are at least 20. If intel was correct on the Ayase family, that would make no sense at all._

The video eventually ended and Eli put her phone away. “You seemed like you were interested in seeing it, so I felt like sharing. It’s not something I show many people, I was never very good.”

“I thought you were amazing!” Nozomi replied, maintaining her excitement. “How could you say you were not good at all?”

“I could never succeed in the auditions, there were so many others that were even better than me. It’s why I said school idols were hopeless, they don’t even have the most fundamental training and it’s obvious to anyone they are lacking.” Eli explained.

“So you said you would plan today, what did you have in mind?” Nozomi asked.

“Follow me, it’s a surprise!” Eli said with enthusiasm, before walking towards the nearest train station.

\----

A few trains and some walking later, Nozomi found that Eli had led her to a theme park. “Are you sure this is okay, Elichi? Isn’t this expensive?” she asked.

“Nothing to be worried about, I like taking you to nice and interesting places so it’s not a problem.” Eli replied.

_This is nothing compared to what she spent last time. What exactly is she supposed to be doing with me anyway? Is this… a date?_ Nozomi asked herself, _Is that what she’s doing? I thought I had her pinned down yet she continues to surprise me._ “Well, if you say so then.” she relented once again.

Soon enough the two were in the park. They spent much of the day walking around, taking pictures with each other and with the theme park mascots, but soon enough the day turned to evening. Eli started walking towards the large Ferris wheel at the center that had started to light up. Eventually the two got in their own section.

Nozomi finally spoke up, “Elichi, you’ve been so nice to me recently, you’ve spent so much money. I want to respect your wishes but please explain to me what the nature of our relationship is to you.”

Then the Ferris wheel started to move.


	13. Chapter 13

As the Ferris wheel began to move, Eli began to think, _I either have two answers here, and I’m not sure which would work better._ A few seconds passed, but to Eli they felt like minutes as she tried to formulate a response to Nozomi’s question about the status of their relationship.

“You’re very direct sometimes.” Eli began, falling silent afterwards, trying to stall for time.

“You’ve been so kind to me, Elichi, but I need to understand your intentions.” Nozomi replied. “I could not accept your generosity otherwise.”

_It is a bit early, but she forced the issue._ Eli thought before beginning to speak again. “I like you, Nozomi. You were able to see a part of me others were not, and so you reached out to me. In return, I reached out to you. You showed me genuine kindness when others only offered me superficial attention. I wanted to make sure I could reach you with my feelings.

“Unfortunately” Eli continued, “I know it is difficult for my feelings to reach others, and I am so used to others appreciating the material comforts I can offer them. This is why I have done the things I have for you. I certainly appreciate you and your friendship, but I did not know another way to reach someone.”

“Elichi.” Nozomi began, “I understand.” _She is not being wholly dishonest. Something within there is true. I should allow her to finish at least. Even if I would be more comfortable confirming her age before agreeing to anything._ “You worry so much about maturity and genuine appreciation.”

“I do.” Eli admitted. “We have a wider variety of experiences than our classmates, which makes us less petty. We understand the world better. You are inclined to make better decisions regarding others. That is what I mean when I say you are more mature and I value maturity. It is not just about appearances, it’s about a state of mind showing you have a wide range of experience to draw upon in any situation. In some ways, I know so little about you, but I felt myself open up to you because of those experiences.”

“You have travelled outside of the country, I do not know if I would say I have the range of experience that you are talking about.” Nozomi said. _She is telling me something important, I know that much, now I have to hope I can keep her talking._

“Travel is an example I would use, but it is not the only criteria.” Eli said. “It is not about your test scores, or popularity, how much you have travelled, or any superficial factor. My attraction to someone like you is about a connection that transcends those issues. I know you have potential. I can see it in the insights you have in others that most our age do not possess. I can see it in how you reached out to me even as I was keeping everyone else away. You had plenty of others surrounding you, yet you still reached out. That is a kindness I can not simply forget. You made it so I was not alone, Nozomi, and I know my words are not enough to tell you how important that was for me.”

“If you are telling me all of this, what is it that you want, Elichi?” Nozomi asked. “You talk about all that has been done for you and how you want to repay the kindness if have shown you, but it is important that you consider what you want, and not just what you think you should do. You do not need to repay the kindness I have shown you, I just want you to be happy.”

“What do I want?” Eli asked, somewhat shocked by the question. “I mean, I want to spend more time with you, Nozomi. I want you to want to spend more time with me. I want to be a part of your life, and I want you to be a part of my life. I” Eli paused, as though she were searching for the right phrases, “I like you Nozomi. You’re an important person to me. It seems you are always the one helping me, and I want to be there for you as well. I think about you regularly, even on the days we can not be together, and I want to spend more time with you, to get to know you better. I know you are busy, and I understand you won’t be able to be with me all the time, but I look forward to the time I spend with you so much.” Another pause from Eli before she quickly added, “I’m sorry for being so selfish!”

“You are not being selfish, you are only being honest about what you want.” Nozomi said. “There is nothing wrong with that between two people like us, but it sounds like you want more than just a friendship.”

“Is that so wrong? I mean, it is forbidden, I know I should not have feelings like that, but I keep thinking, ‘I’m feeling for her, what she’s feeling for me’ and I need to know if that’s true.” Eli admitted. “I know, that probably doesn’t sound good for me, does it?” she asks.

“I think it’s okay to hope that is true, but Elichi, you must be honest about what you are feeling yourself. I know you are probably confused about your feelings, and do not know how to put them in Japanese to me, but I appreciate your effort. It is okay to be direct with me if that is the only way you can say it.” Nozomi suggested to Eli.

“In that case, I like you, Nozomi, please go out with me!” Eli finally said, then she looked across from her seat to Nozomi.

Nozomi didn’t say anything right away. _Perhaps some of her true feelings are in there, but if I reject her now, we will likely have difficulty speaking in the future, and that would cause undue trouble._ “I like you too, Elichi. I accept.” She said before leaning across the space between seats to kiss Eli. It was quick, a kiss to show acceptance of Eli’s request. Then Nozomi looked out as the Ferris wheel had neared the apex of the circle is went in. “It’s a beautiful night, Elichi, thank you for bringing me here.”

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” Eli asked, suddenly looking much more relaxed as she looked over the brightly lit theme park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first confession scene I have ever written, and I have to admit it was a significant challenge. I hope everyone enjoys it.


	14. Chapter 14

_Confessions are strange things._ Nozomi reflected as she walked into her apartment after her time with Eli. _Normally they signify a high point, a climax, it is often the end of romance stories, isn’t it?_ she asked herself. Then she sighed, _This does make life more complicated, even if it was essential that I accepted it. Perhaps prodding Eli to say something like that was not the best idea._ She shook her head as she concluded, before getting ready for bed, _It was necessary._ Before finally going to bed, she wrote and submitted a contact report for her superiors to read.

\--

As Eli returned home for the evening, she had mixed feelings about the evening. A part of her was elated, leading her to smile most of the way home. _Nozomi reciprocated my feelings, it feels nice! I was worried she wouldn’t understand._ she thought. _It is nice to have someone who understands a part of me, even if she can not understand the entirety._ At the same time, these thoughts were separated by a separate thought, _Who knows what will happen when I recruit her? That is why I’m doing this, right?_ Eli would ask herself. _I suppose it would not be so bad to enjoy this while it lasts. I have plenty of time._

\--

Sasaki received the contact report. It wasn’t the change in nominal relationship status between Nozomi Toujou and Eli Ayase that bothered him, but rather a different segment, “Video evidence of Eli Ayase suggests she was born in 1990 at the latest.” The rest of the report reported the details of the video, as well as the potential time stamp of 1995 with a six year old Eli Ayase. With that Sasaki picked up his phone and dialed out.

“Go ahead Sasaki.” the voice on the other end said.

“We have a problem with the Otonokizaka intel. New evidence suggests Eli Ayase is older than believed, likely early twenties.” Sasaki explained.

“We know the mother moved to Japan after 1991, which means she should be no older than nineteen.” the man on the other side of the line observed. “Estimates from available intelligence indicated an age between twelve and fifteen. The presence of Eli Ayase in a high school would suggest the upper end of that range.”

“We can investigate, but if this new information is accurate that means we have no idea who Eli Ayase is.” Sasaki observed. “Or if there is a second daughter which means a potential operative unaccounted for.”

“Very well, investigate what you can and continue to report.” the voice on the other end said, and with that the line went dead.

\--

Nozomi woke up to a message from Sasaki, _Acquire a copy of the video Eli showed yesterday for analysis?_ she thought, but she wasn’t surprised by this request. With that she went about sending Eli a text message, “The video of you dancing yesterday was so cute! Could you please send me a copy?” With that done, Nozomi went about getting ready for another day.

Within a few minutes she saw her phone had a message with a file attached, a copy of the video. “It is sweet.” Nozomi said. With that she left for Otonokizaka.

\--

_There is an important question that I have not thought about recently._ Nozomi thought as her class lecture droned on. As usual it bored her as she already knew the material and did not need to pay attention to any of the actual class content. _What do two women in their twenties both pretending to be fifteen year old girls in a relationship together do?_ It was a rather strange question, but now that it had come up Nozomi realized she had not considered it previously.

_A better question would be what has actually changed?_ Nozomi asked herself. _Previously we spent time together, and I agreed to her confession since it seemed to be the only option to complete my objectives, but do we do things differently now?_ _I really need to take the initiative here to see if I can get Eli to reveal anything else that is useful. She is far more competent than previously thought._

\--

After school Eli met up with Nozomi outside of Otonokizaka’s gate. “Elichi!” she greeted cheerfully.

“Hello!” Eli replied excitedly as she took a place next to Nozomi.

“I know this might be awkward, but I wanted to ask you about something.” Nozomi began.

Eli nodded, “What is it?” she asked.

“Well, I know I accepted your confession, but I’ve never done anything like this before.” Nozomi said. _Adult relationships are completely different._ she thought to herself. “So what has changed?”

“I’m not sure either.” Eli admitted. “Perhaps I said too much, but I meant it and you wanted me to say how I felt, so I did.”

“No! You didn’t say too much, Elichi! It’s important to be honest about your feelings with me. I just” Nozomi paused, “Wish I knew how to respond to them better, that’s all. I may be more mature than other girls in our class but that does not mean I am more experienced in love.” she added quietly. “Do you have experience?”

“Not in love. You are my first, Nozomi.” Eli replied quietly.

“It means we shared something that we have never shared with anyone else, I think.” Nozomi finally said. “I hope our relationship will deepen over time as we get to know each other even better.” _Was that too much?_ Nozomi asked herself immediately afterwards. _Probably not._ she concluded.

“That is a nice way of thinking of it.” Eli agreed.

_She is quite good._ Nozomi concluded. _She still makes mistakes that reveal more than she should at times, but she is very guarded about anything that would be directly useful. This will take much longer than anticipated. I have several months at the very least._

Eli and Nozomi continued to talk outside of the gate for a little bit before returning to their homes.


	15. Chapter 15

It had been three months since Eli’s confession to Nozomi. Midterms were approaching, though Nozomi was not concerned with them. The objective of recruiting Eli moved at a glacial pace. Even though Eli had made key mistakes when they met, she was surprisingly consistent in the role she was assigned. Besides that, Nozomi had other objectives, like trying to prevent the closing of Otonokizaka. Even there, little progress was being made. It was common knowledge that the number of students has been shrinking and that little has succeeded in preventing even fewer students from coming in next year. Compared to those two objectives she had made little progress on, midterms were easy.

\----

For Eli, the past three months had been quite good to her. While she did have orders to recruit Nozomi, she was permitted a long timetable to do so. _Management is operating on at least a five year plan, another year to them is nothing._ She understood the rationale of why she was freely given time. Still, she intended to enjoy it. She thought it would be more difficult to cultivate a relationship with a girl several years younger than her, but with Nozomi it felt easy. Even if, since the confession, the relationship never went beyond hand holding and the occasional hug, she had come to appreciate having someone she could confide in, even if she couldn't tell her everything.

\----

“Elichi!” Nozomi said as Eli approached her just outside the gate after classes.

“Hello Nozomi.” Eli said, then she smiled, “I have good news. I asked my parents and they’re letting me rent a beach house during the summer break. Do you want to come?”

“Is anyone else coming?” Nozomi asked.

“No, it’ll just be us!” Eli said excitedly. “I thought it would be fun, and nobody will notice we’re both gone for the week since we won’t be in school.”

“Okay, let me know when we leave.” Nozomi said. “Do your parents know about me?” she asked.

“They know a little bit, but they said since I was doing so well in class I could do this as a gift. Do your parents know about me?” Eli asked.

“They send care packages on occasion, but are too busy for details. Nobody will mind if I’m away at the beach for a week.” Nozomi replied.

\----

Midterms were easy enough. The difficulty for Nozomi was not in the questions, but in trying to achieve a score that would place her just barely in the upper third of the class. Her mind was more focused on the trip to the beach with Eli coming up. _I could call it in and just ask for an extraction. Really, that’s no fun. I suppose a week with her separated from everyone else has its advantages. I might be able to get something out of it and enjoy a nice week at the beach._

\----

Sasaki looked over reports, seeing another request for supplies for the Otonokizaka operation. _Easy enough to arrange, even if it is probably enough to kill someone._ he thought as he approved the request.

\----

After midterms were done, Nozomi met Eli at a train station to go to the beach house. Both had packed rather heavily, having large suitcases. “Elichi!” Nozomi said in greeting to Eli as she approached. Then when she caught up to Eli said, “Maybe we overpacked.”

“We’ll forget all about packing too much once we get there. Besides, I get to spend an entire week with you. It will be nice.” Eli said quietly.

“I’ve never gone to the beach with only one other person before. It is a whole house, right? Not a couples’ getaway location?” Nozomi asked, making a point to be nervous about this. _Too bad being a spy is so bad for an actual relationship. I could use a couples’ getaway after this job is done._ she thought to herself.

“No, it’s the entire house, so we’ll have plenty of room.” Eli assured Nozomi. “I’m so glad you agreed, I was worried about what I would tell my parents if you declined.”

The rest of the train ride was uneventful as the two women travelled to the beach.

\----

Nozomi was quite impressed with the size of the beach house. “This is just for us?” she asked.

“It is. Let’s go inside!” Eli said. Upon entering Eli saw the typical surroundings of a beach house, but looked at the center of one of the rooms. She noticed a rather large amount of alcohol had made its way into the beach house. “I think there was a mix up.” was all she managed to say.

Nozomi followed and saw what Eli did, smiling as she noticed it. _It will be far more fun this way._ she thought. “Oh, what is this?” she asked quietly.

“I think someone delivered alcohol to the wrong house.” Eli replied, then she took a closer look, _Imports of high quality alcohol from around the world, including vodka? The fifteen year old cover has meant I haven’t been able to drink in months._

“Oh. Well. What do we do?” Nozomi asked next.

“Well, I mean, we could tell someone we received something we shouldn’t have.” Eli said at first. “But well, it looks so good, and it’s only the two of us. Do you think we can keep a secret?”

“I mean, it wouldn’t be too terrible, we’ll just say we don’t know anything about it if someone comes looking for it.” Nozomi suggested. “But first we should find a store to buy things to go with it. You know, we should really enjoy it. I heard it tastes better if you mix it with other things.” _Hopefully she will not ask too many questions about someone knowing about mixing drinks._ she thought.

“We’ll have a great night!” Eli promised with enthusiasm.

With that, the two went to a nearby store to buy some groceries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I finally got around to making a tumblr at Cai000.tumblr.com for those interested.
> 
> I've been looking forward to the next couple chapters for a while, it's just a matter of finding time to write them. So thanks to everyone who's reading this.


	16. Chapter 16

With groceries in bags, Nozomi and Eli returned to the beach house, and perhaps more importantly to the large amount of alcohol stored within.

“Oh, it’s still here!” Eli said cheerfully, take a couple glasses and starting to pour one of the bottles of vodka into them. A significant amount of vodka, really. “We need to make sure to drink while we can!” Eli said enthusiastically, seeming quite excited about this opportunity.

“Isn’t that a bit much?” Nozomi asked as she watched Eli pour the vodka. Eventually, Nozomi interrupted the vodka pouring and took out some orange juice, pouring it in instead. “The juice will help.” she insisted.

With that, Eli took her glass, held it up, “Kompai!” she said aloud.

Nozomi added, “Kompai!” as well. With that the two started their first drink.

“It’s like there isn’t even vodka in here, good vodka is amazing!” Eli said, even happier by this development, drinking her first drink in under a minute.

Nozomi drank slower, only taking the occasional sip. “I wouldn’t know.” she said. “But it tastes just like regular orange juice. Are you going to have another?”

“Of course!” Eli said, quickly preparing herself another drink.

_So stereotypical, but I knew alcohol would be something she would have a difficult time refusing._ Nozomi thought to herself as she smiled, still sipping on her first drink. _It does taste good._

“This is so great, Nozomi!” Eli said, starting to get a bit louder as she quickly downed her second drink. _I missed this so much._ she thought.

“It tastes wonderful, doesn’t it, Elichi?” Nozomi agreed. “So I heard you can play games when you drink alcohol. Do you want to try that?” she asked.

“What kind of game would we play?” But within a few minutes Eli had already finished her second drink.

“I’m not sure. I guess we’ll have to come up with our own!” Nozomi said enthusiastically. By now she had finished her first drink and moved to put herself between Eli and all the drinking supplies, pouring some orange juice into the glass.

“I know, I know! Bear Paw!” Eli said cheerfully. She then took another, particularly large, glass and filled it with a couple bottles of beer beer. “The rules are simple, I drink, then I replace it with vodka. Then you do the same. Then when it’s full of vodka, I drink, then replace what I drink with beer, and so on!”

_Well, there goes Plan A._ Nozomi thought to herself. _Looks like I’ll have to drink. Time for Plan B._ “Okay, that sounds like fun. But if we’re going to drink so much-“ then she paused and found a bottle of pills mixed in with the alcohol, “Take one of these, I hear they prevent hangovers.” _Well, this is why I also asked for a benzodiazepine* to be brought along with them._ Then she thought for a moment and added, “You let it dissolve under your tongue.”

Eli took the pill, placing it under her tongue for a few seconds while it dissolved and then taking the first drink of beer, replacing it with the vodka provided. “This is good too! We got so lucky, Nozomi! We should enjoy this to its fullest!”

“Yes, we did.” Nozomi agreed quietly, taking a drink herself and replacing it. “Where did you learn this game, Elichi?”

“We played it in Russia sometimes when we went out!” Elichi explained excitedly. “Everyone always has so much fun when we do it!”

“Oh, who did you play it with?” Nozomi asked next, showing a significant interest in Eli’s stories now.

“Oh, my class. We’d have some rough training some days so we’d get some drinks and calm down that way. If we regretted it in the morning, well, we just remembered how much fun the night was.” Eli said, then she took her drink and replaced it with even more vodka. “Whoever ordered this vodka has wonderful tastes. Our vodka was usually horrible and tasted like an industrial cleaner more than something you should drink.”

“I didn’t know that.” Nozomi said. “That there was such a difference in vodka.” she said as she looked at the large glass. “So if you were in Russia, what are you doing here?” she asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Even this early into the evening, the quick succession of drinks and the pill were starting to reach Eli and cloud her judgment. _She’s fifteen, it should be okay._ she thought. “Oh, I was sent away here. They wanted me to go to Otonokizaka specifically, so I enrolled. They wanted someone to tell them how the school was doing. It’s kind of sad it’s declining, it has such a history.”

“Do people from Russia really care that much about our school?” Nozomi asked.

“Not really. I just got told to go here so I did. I know I haven’t introduced you to my parents yet, but it’s more like we just live in the same place.” Eli explained. Then she looked at the glass, then Nozomi, “You need to drink!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, yes.” Nozomi said, looking at the glass again. She had managed to stall from drinking more, but eventually she did take another drink, and the glass was once again refilled with vodka. “Your Japanese is very good, Elichi, I wouldn’t have expected you to speak that well if you just came from Russia before coming here.”

“You wouldn’t believe how quickly you can learn a language with a full immersion school. I had to go to a special one for a few months before coming here speaking and reading nothing but Japanese all the time.” Eli continued to explain. “I tried dying my hair at first so I would fit in better, but I like the original color too much.” Then she took another drink, “I think that one was mostly vodka.” she said before adding yet more vodka to the glass. The vodka to beer ratio in the glass was increasing.

_She’s talking, but I’m not sure how much of this insane game I’ll be able to take._ Nozomi thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I feel the need to explain myself here. I seriously debated some of the content of this chapter. Not because it's a chapter that involves drinking, but the other elements mixed into it. First, most of the things Nozomi has Eli do in this chapter are terrible ideas in real life. The pill in question has the effect of amplifying the effects of depressants, such as alcohol. Furthermore, using the vector of entry specified increases the speed with which the drug enters the body and becomes effective. Please please please please /please/ do not do this in real life. Part of the debate was I didn't want to feel like I was teaching anyone how to do this, but I realized anyone who can read this story could access this information within five minutes, so I figured it was better to include it and mention a warning as to how bad of an idea this is in real life than simply omit the details.
> 
> As to why this element is in the story, I wanted to give Nozomi a plausible reason to be significantly less inebriated than Eli, as well as portray the Nozomi of this story as someone who will do morally questionable things to achieve her objectives, such as stealing and cracking the phone with the thinnest of pretexts earlier in the story.


	17. Chapter 17

_It really was such a simple plan._ Nozomi thought as the large glass was pushed her way. _Mix an actual drink, drink it slowly, then after that mix far weaker drinks to appear as though I am drinking far more than I really am. It is a pity there is no way to do that in this situation._

“Elichi, I don’t think I can do anymore.” Nozomi finally said. “My head is already feeling a little light. You can have more if you want, but I think I should stop for now.”

“Fine, fine, we can stop for a bit.” Eli agreed. _It is probably her first time drinking alcohol, it’s understandable she would feel a little drunk off just this much._ “But you have to answer something for me!” Eli said, sounding suddenly excited. “Why do you never do anything more than hold my hand, except for that first time?”

“I don’t know.” Nozomi said at first. “At the time, it felt like the right thing to do, but I never thought of other times to do it, and I’m inexperienced at this so I never know what I should be doing. I know I think about you all the time, and I like you, but I never really experienced anything like this before. What would other people think?”

“Well, we’re alone right now, so you don’t have to worry about what anyone else thinks, it will be a secret between us.” Eli suggested. “I thought you might be shy.”

“I see.” Nozomi said, leaving the glass to sit and moving to sit against Eli. “Is this okay? To be close like this? It feels nice.”

Eli took a free arm and wrapped it around Nozomi, pulling her in closer. “Your shyness is cute.” she said quiet.

Nozomi blushed at this, her face even more red than previously from the drinks she had, “You think so, really? Elichi, what does it mean to be in a relationship? I know it’s strange I ask after we have been doing it for months, but what does it mean to you?”

“I think it is about vulnerability.” Eli answered after several seconds. “People build walls around themselves, create impenetrable facades, hide who they are for the world. It is how the world works. There are a few, however, that can see who you really are, and so you are vulnerable to them. Those people you can trust like that are precious.”

“Hm. How about I share a secret with you then, Elichi.” Nozomi offered, her voice still quiet, like the rest of the beach house. “Then you tell me something. Can we do that?” she then leaned into Eli more, making it so her eyes were looking up at Eli’s face.

“Okay.” Eli agreed. “I would be afraid of what would happen if I said no to a face like that.”

“I had very few friends until now.” Nozomi began to explain, her voice still quiet. “I would always have to move with my parents, until this year, so I could never form bonds with anyone. I think you’re similar. I don’t know if you have trouble forming bonds with others or if you just don’t want to most of the time.”

“You know what people your, our, age are like. You do readings for them all the time. I’ve overheard a few.” Eli began. “They’re aimless. They only care about if some boy from another school accepts their confession, or they want to be better known. Things that, in three years, will mean absolutely nothing. Even the times a boy does accept their confession, how many of those relationships do you think break down within the first month? They don’t know what it means to have a real relationship, where there are problems, but you work together to solve them. You may not know all the words and phrases to say all of that yourself, but you do understand. When we had a chance to be alone where no one can hear us, you opened up to me and we started talking about a barrier we had been having. Look at you right now, you’re closer to me than you have ever been before, all because we could talk to each other rather than breaking up right away.”

“You may be right, Elichi.” Nozomi interjected, she opened her mouth to say more, but Eli started speaking again before she could say anything.

“Even more, most of them have no ambition.” Eli continued, though her intoxication by now was evident, as her words had become slower, enunciated to be understood. “They’re too focused on relationships and other things that will not matter. I want something more for myself. You… you have an ambition, even if you don’t know exactly what it is yet. I know that about you, Nozomi. I want a nice place to live, a large place with a nice view of the ocean. I like the idea of wealth. I like the idea of being powerful. I like the idea of a life with subordinates to take care of things with me. That is what ambition is.” Then Eli stopped, Nozomi tried to interject again but Eli picked up speaking again quickly enough, “But I would need someone I can trust to assist me. The perks wouldn’t be too bad. We would have enough wealth and power that no one could judge our forbidden relationship.”

“I’m not sure I understand, Elichi.” Nozomi said slowly. _A rather blatant recruitment, but something is off about it._ she thought, though she had enough to drink her thoughts didn’t go much further than that. “But if it’s to be with you, I think it might be okay. I want to stay with you, so I’ll follow you. Did you have any plans?”

“We can enjoy the rest of our vacation first. We are young, after all, and have an entire life’s work ahead of us. So let’s enjoy this while we can.” Eli suggested.

“Okay.” Nozomi agreed quietly.


	18. Chapter 18

Nozomi stayed close to Eli for the rest of the evening. Eventually the two leaned back until their backs were on the floor. Eli fell asleep first, but with the way Nozomi’s arm was positioned, she was pinned to the ground by Eli’s body as well. Nozomi looked at the still filled glass, and weakly smiled, _No matter what I do, her nature always disrupts my plans._ she thought. _Every time she exposes a vulnerability, anymore, she manages to turn it into an opportunity._ Nozomi tried to rest with her back against the floor. She was tired, but the position was quite uncomfortable for her, but she did not want to move and risk waking Eli.

_You have to get comfortable with the idea of people doing bad things for good reasons, doing good things for bad reasons. You do the best you can._ Nozomi remembered the quote again. Guilt performing her duties rarely occurred to her. She accepted that she did things that were, on the surface, bad, and justified those actions by claiming they were for good reasons. Remembering the quote as she was next to Eli, Nozomi did not use it to reflect on her own actions this time, but rather those of Eli. _I wonder why Elichi wants that._ she thought. Then a moment later, _I’m calling her Elichi in my thoughts now? Perhaps she is getting to me._ She smiled again. _She was alone when she came here, before she met me. Now Eli says she has a dream. Am I that dream? She never mentions having a good relationship with anyone else. She seems to really dislike what she’s doing at Otonokizaka. She only shows brightness around me. I wonder how you would feel if I was honest with you._ On that thought, Nozomi finally fell asleep.

\----

Eli woke up first, the light of the early morning causing her a headache. Her stomach did not feel particularly well either. She propped herself up before standing. “How much did I drink last night?” she asked herself quietly. Then she looked at the still full glass, then at Nozomi still asleep on the floor. “Her first time and she kept up with me.” With that, she immediately went to fill a glass with water, drinking it quickly. She knew her body needed water to rehydrate from last night, though it would take a while for her to actually start feeling better.

Eli then looked at Nozomi on the floor again and smiled. _She really does have potential. Incredible if her skills were honed. Too precious to let go of so easily._ _She’s sympathetic to me, at least._ With that she spoke, “Nozomi, it’s morning.” in an effort to wake her up. Nozomi moved a little, but it took a couple more attempts before she opened her eyes and sat up.

“Good morning.” Nozomi said slowly, her voice flat and showing signs of being tired. Then she moved her right arm, “I think you fell asleep on my arm.” With that, she stood up. Then she looked at the still full glass, “I think we were a little carried away last night, we should be more careful the rest of the week.” she suggested.

“More careful, yes, but we certainly should not waste this opportunity.” Eli replied. _At this rate it may be the last time I can have anything for a couple of years, I am certainly not letting it go._ she thought. “We will need more food but these bottles were quite expensive, you may never have the opportunity to have anything this good again.”

“Well, okay.” Nozomi quietly agreed.

“About last night” Eli began to say, “did I say anything too strange?” she asked. “I hope I didn’t worry you.”

“I don’t think you said anything too strange, Elichi.” Nozomi began, still moving her arm as it became less numb. “You want to care for people and protect them, even if other people do not agree with how you live. Conformity is something valued highly, but you know you are too different to be able to truly conform, so you want something different. You want the privilege of being above those standards, and to do that you need certain things, and that is why you want someone like me. Not only to come with you so you will not be alone, but someone who understands. You want the strength to reject the scorn you would receive due to your inability to fake your emotions to the entire world. Is that right, Elichi?” she asked.

“How…” Eli said quietly, pausing between words. “Did you know?” She closed her eyes, “Why is it that you of all people understand me?”

“I ask the cards about you quite often, because I want to get closer to you. They help me think about you.” Nozomi said, offering a smile, “I want you to be happy with me, so even when I still feel new to a relationship like this, I seek advice. So even if you want something different than everyone else, I will follow you. That might be what love is, Elichi. The desire to follow and protect someone close to you, even, no, especially, when you do not know where their path leads.” Then Nozomi paused, “I’m sorry, Elichi, I always feel like I phrase such things poorly when it comes to you. So…” she paused again, “One day I will find a way to properly answer you!” the last sentence came out of her mouth rapidly.

“No, you answered wonderfully.” Eli replied, her eyes opening again. A couple tears came down her face but ceased as Nozomi replied. “If you will follow me like that, then the least I can do is promise I will protect you. No matter who may wish you harm along the way.”

Nozomi could only nod. _You say I understand you the more time we spend together, but why is it I feel the more time I spend with you the more I doubt I understand you?_ she thought.

“We should get ready, the weather is beautiful today, so we must enjoy the beach.” Eli said after several seconds.

Once again, Nozomi just nodded. Shortly after, the two started to get ready for a day at the beach.

 


	19. Chapter 19

For the rest of the week, there was a closeness between Eli and Nozomi. Days would be spent at the beach, while evenings would be spent together with a couple drinks and sleeping next to each other. The excesses of the first night were avoided.

“We return to school in a couple of days, Elichi. I’m glad I came with you.” Nozomi said on the final night.

“We will have to do this again. Just the two of us. It is so hard to be alone for any length of time.” Eli replied.

Over the past week, Nozomi did feel like she had gotten to know Eli a little bit better in some ways. While Eli’s declaration of her intent to protect Nozomi still left her confused, for the most part, it was a week of enjoying a vacation at the beach in nice surroundings. At some times, Eli would act like most teenage girls at a beach, where at other times she showed a sudden and considerable insight more fitting for an adult.

“Perhaps next year.” Nozomi suggested. “I must admit I hope none of our classmates find out we did this.”

“We can keep a couple more secrets, I think.” Eli replied.

“Good night, Elichi.” Nozomi said quietly before turning to sleep.

“Good night.” Eli echoed.

\----

Life at Otonokizaka returned mostly to normal, though by now it was no secret Eli and Nozomi were at least close friends. They often ate lunch together, and after school Eli would stay long enough for Nozomi to perform a reading after class for someone. After which the two would often leave together.

Nozomi was still plagued by questions, however. _How do I help this school? No progress has been made there. What is Eli doing here? What options do I have available to me?_ None of which she had easy answers for. For now it was all she could do to keep observing Eli and see what she did. Though there were plenty of individual questions about Eli, _What were her plans? What does she want?_ and perhaps most curiously, _How much of the relationship between us is real?_ Nozomi was of the impression Eli’s perception of their relationship was some strange blend of real and artificial. It was dangerous to be personally invested in relationships formed in her line of work, but at the same time it had the advantage of bringing a personal conviction to the role.

\----

Fall was beginning when Eli and Nozomi were outside the Otonokizaka gate when day when Eli said, “I want to be student council president.”

Nozomi didn’t reply right away, after several seconds asking, “Why is that, Elichi? And is that even possible for you?”

“It will take some time. If we want power, a student council should be easy enough. If we can’t manage that much, we have no chance against the larger challenges ahead of us. It is a difficult road we will walk, Nozomi. Actually, it would be a good experience for you as well. I want you to come with me.” Eli added. “Think of it as a chance to see how well we work together. We can study together, sure, but that is completely different from organizing others.”

Nozomi then smiled, “I think that’s a great idea, Elichi!” she said enthusiastically. “I’ll do it. Besides, you need someone you can trust to advise you and tell you when you are making a mistake. You said you would protect me, and I believe you, but I can also protect you, even if it is a different way.”

“I think you are exceptionally mature and wise for your age, Nozomi.” Eli said with a smile. “But that’s what I like about you.” Then she pauses and suddenly became excited, “I know, we should go on a dinner date sometime, you can wear those nice clothes I bought you! It will be so much fun, just us and it’s not like any of our classmates will be at a place like that so no one else that knows us will know!”

“You always love coming up with excuses for me to dress up for you, don’t you, Elichi?” Nozomi asked, but she was laughing as she said it.

“You caught me again, but the plan is still in effect.” Eli said, her voice tone flat.

Nozomi laughed some more. “You can actually be funny. Always so serious all the time. You should try humor a little more often.”

“I like everyone thinking I’m serious at school, but what does another secret between us hurt?” Eli asked.

“We’ll accumulate secrets between us forever, I think.” Nozomi concluded.

\----

Sasaki received the latest contact report from the Otonokizaka operation, and once again picking up the phone.

“Go ahead, Sasaki.” the voice on the other end greet him.

“An update on the Otonokizaka operation, Eli Ayase wants to control the student council directly.” Sasaki explained. “Does this not cause us significant problems? I think we may need to warn Director Minami soon.”

“The student council president would have significant power, but it is not absolute power. Besides, if your operative is as close to her as reports suggest, it should not be a disaster for us. You are still researching exactly who Eli Ayase is, I trust?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Yes. We are sure she is over the age of 20, but gaining access to Russian records to look into her past on any deeper level is giving us significant problems. We also are unsure of her loyalties. Several contact reports suggest her values do not align with the organization as a whole.” Sasaki continued to explain.

“They are always fragmented. It is one of our critical advantages against them. They have power, and seek more power, but there are also significant power struggles.” the voice on the other end explained. “They work best when being secretive, as it provides more security, but that increased security makes them more disorganized. Eli Ayase is not to be underestimated, but she may prove to be valuable to us if we can gain insight into wider Japanese operations they are undertaking.” With that the line went dead again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I've enjoyed spending time on the Nozomi/Eli relationship in its early stages, I'm trying to move forward a bit faster, especially to the second year and particularly the third year, since then this story will start to overlap with the Love Live! anime proper, which is something I've been looking forward to for quite some time.
> 
> For those of you who like the exploration of the Nozomi/Eli dynamic, don't worry, that isn't going away, but I'm going to speed things up a bit more.


	20. Chapter 20

Nozomi watched over the auditorium from her seat on the stage. The new Otonokizaka students had their entrance ceremony. Nozomi knew the number of people present was even smaller than last year, as the new class only had two classes worth of students. _I understand the situation better now, perhaps this year will be better._ The lack of students still bothered her. She also knew this year would be far busier than last, as she had become vice president of the student council with Eli being the president. She also had additional responsibilities on top of that.

Nozomi’s superiors were generally understanding of her lack of progress over the last year. While they were not happy with it, at the same time it was understood the Otonokizaka operation would likely last three years, and only one of the years was complete.

_Elichi really is a good speaker._ Nozomi thought as Eli spoke to the student body. The content was typical of a student council president, extolling the virtues of working hard, being active in student activities, and being supportive of Otonokizaka. _Confident, projects well, determined. All the qualities that make her dangerous, but desirable._

\----

Alone in the student council room, Eli and Nozomi sat with forms in front of them. “Starting small isn’t very exciting, I know.” Eli said.

“It’s okay, Elichi, if I’m with you I’ll be happy.” Nozomi said with a smile. “I have to leave early today, will that be a problem?” she asked.

“No. I understand, you have your own interests, you can’t spend all your time with me, after all.” Eli replied.

“Thanks for understanding, Elichi!” Nozomi said, standing up, seeing no one was around the door she bent over and quickly kissed Eli on the cheek. Nozomi had become more used to showing Eli affection over the past few months, even if she restricted it to when the two were alone and unseen. With that, Nozomi left.

\----

Shortly after, Nozomi could be found at Kanda Shrine, near Otonokizaka, where she had begun serving the shrine as a miko. _The tasks themselves are boring._ she often thought. _Yet it fits the personality so well. Besides,_ she thought as she walked up to the wooden wishing board, _it does provide some insight into what students worry about. Naturally, most wish for good grades and good luck in love._ _Right now there seems to be an obliviousness to the danger the school is in._ Nozomi smiled at this thought. _If I do this right, I can help them and never have to see a wish for Otonokizaka to remain open._ With that Nozomi kept sweeping and minding the shrine.

\----

Eli arrived at Nozomi’s apartment with a small messenger bag over her shoulder. She knocked, and after a few seconds she could hear the sound of Nozomi walking to the door to answer. The door opened, “Good evening, Elichi! Is all the work done?”

“It is.” Eli said. “May I come in?” she asked.

“Of course.” Nozomi said, stepping aside.

Eli walked in, removing her shoes and walked towards the couch in the main room. Nozomi sat next to her. Eli put her arm around Nozomi, putting the bag to the side opposite Nozomi. “I need to ask you something.” She says after several seconds.

“Of course, Elichi, what is it that is bothering you?” Nozomi asked in her lilting tone.

“How old are you?” Eli asked, her tone was serious as she held Nozomi closer to her.

“I’m sixteen now, Elichi. Our birthdays aren’t until later in the year.” Nozomi replied. Externally, Nozomi maintained her calm image, though internally she began scanning the room for potential escape routes and options.

“No.” Eli said, her tone still serious. “How old are you, really?”

“I told you, Elichi, I’m 16. Why are you asking such a strange question, you remember when my birthday is, don’t you?” Nozomi asked. _Most people would panic and drop out of character once they think they are caught. While this is bad, I may be able to maintain my cover still._ she thought.

“No, that’s not the truth.” Eli said, continuing to hold Nozomi close to her. “Don’t move. I would prefer to not hurt you for this conversation. As a sign of good faith, I am having this conversation here, at your home, where you have a large number of advantages I could have denied you. So who are you with?”

“I’m alone here, a student. Is there something the matter, Elichi?” Nozomi asked, her tone showing concern more than fear.

“You’re too perfect.” Eli said, her eyes locked on Nozomi, making sure she didn’t make any sudden movements. “Anything I ever wanted from you, you agreed. You always agree with me. That’s the problem. I confessed to you and you didn’t even have to think. I invite you alone somewhere and you didn’t object. I ask for you to follow me in my ambition, wherever that path may lead, and you didn’t resist at all. You are, quite literally, everything I ever asked for. No one is that perfect.”

“I like you, Elichi, so it’s natural that I agree with you.” Nozomi replied, she kept still, however. _If she meant harm she would have done something by now, she would have chosen a better option than just holding me next to her. If she suspects me she would know I could escape easily enough._ Nozomi thought, processing the situation.

“Not like this.” Eli replied. “Somebody sent you. I know that much. You never mention your parents other than to say they are absent and busy and make no time for you. Which makes me suspect they don’t exist.”

“Why bring this up, Elichi?” Nozomi asks. “If you really suspected something was wrong and I were intent upon harming you why would you come here to confront me about it? Can I not be a mature high school student?”

“I thought I would not have to resort to this.” Eli lamented, and with that she took her free hand and reached into the bag.


	21. Chapter 21

When Nozomi saw Eli reaching into her bag, her body immediately moved. First she took her right hand to grab behind Eli’s right wrist, the hand holding her close to Eli. Then, using this as a pivot point she stood and brought her left forearm to the back of Eli’s arm above the elbow. With this she moved Eli’s arm up, and then down, straightening the arm and from there able to direct Eli’s upper body towards the floor. This left Eli standing on her feet, her upper body bent towards the floor with Nozomi solidly behind her.

“Don’t move.” Nozomi commanded, any semblance of her playing innocent about what she knew was now gone. “You know I could easily break your arm from this position. So why don’t you tell me what is in the bag.”

“I told you, I’m not here to hurt you.” Eli insisted. “I gave you every advantage here as a sign of good faith.” Her voice sounded somewhat strained. “You won’t want to break it. You break it and that brings all kinds of unwanted attention, but you also know you can’t restrain me otherwise.”

“Answer my question.” Nozomi replied, applying more pressure to Eli’s arm.

“It’s information you want.” Eli answered. “About the people acting as my parents here. Sixteen year old girls with your background don’t know how to suddenly implement an armbar from a weak position like you just did, so you might as well answer one simple question. No use insisting on your role anymore.” Notably for all the pressure Nozomi was applying to the arm, Eli didn’t seem too bothered by the pain.

“26.” Nozomi finally answered. “You already know that much, so why confront me about it rather than report it and come here with a proper weapon? I know you are not an idiot.” Nozomi then positioned herself between Eli and the kitchen area, release her hold, and take a couple steps towards the kitchen. “No sudden movements.” Nozomi insisted. “Take the documents out. Slowly. Put them on the table.”

Eli stood up after being released and nodded. She made a point of moving slowly, opening the bag entirely to reveal it had nothing but papers inside of it, which she took out and placed on the table as instructed. “I need your help.” Eli finally admitted.

“You confront me to ask for help?” Nozomi asked, “Fine, you came here, chose a place where I had the advantage, so let’s say I believe you. What is it that you need help with.”

“I want out.” Eli answered simply.

“Explain yourself.” Nozomi insisted, though by now she had put a decent distance between herself and Eli.

“My superiors don’t normally accept letters of resignation, and I’m tired of working for them. The money is good, but the assignments are horrible. I’ve recruited enough children for training.” Eli explained.

“So you come to me to defect, not even knowing who you are defecting to.” Nozomi observed. “You know the price of defection. You will be interrogated, of course. Then you will likely be given an assignment. Not that you would ever truly be trusted.”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Eli asked.

“You give me the documents, you report to me on your assignments, and you maintain your current position.” Nozomi answered. “But I think you want something more than that. You joined for the promise of wealth and power, you know we will not give that to you.”

“I wasn’t lying to you when I said I would protect you.” Eli said after several seconds. “My superiors are demanding progress being made with you, given how much time we spend together. I could only delay them this long.” Eli then sat on the couch. “Look, I am no threat to you now, I am in an obvious position of weakness. I would rather you stay with me than lose another person.”

“You are telling me you are willing to put yourself in the middle of two organizations in the middle of a conflict just because you want me to say with you?” Nozomi asked. Then she offered a smile, “It sounds like fun, Elichi!”

“Just don’t tell me your side happens to be wholly righteous. I want out because I well know that this is just a conflict over interests. Mine wants control, and who knows what your superiors want, just that it opposes mine.” Eli says. “You don’t act like a Public Security Intelligence type. Something more international suits you. No, I don’t expect you to answer that question. I know you won’t give me that answer right away, especially since I know better than to think you trust me.”

“You can earn my trust. I’ll even understand that you still have to appear to be accomplishing your objectives. Besides, Elichi, you still have your dream.” Nozomi answered. Then she started walking towards Eli again.

“I’m not giving up on it, I just realize it’s impossible to achieve if I lose you.” Eli answered.

Then Nozomi approached Eli, leaning down, giving her a kiss on the lips. Instead of the short kiss that accompanied the confession, this one was longer, Nozomi took Eli’s shoulders to hold herself up while she did it. After several seconds she released Eli and stood up, “That is your reward for being an honest girl with me.” she said with a smile, her tone now cheerful, much more in line with the sixteen year old persona she acted out on a daily basis. “We’ll find a place where we can be happy together. Even if this does make things more complicated.”

Eli then stood. “It’s all about us.” she said with a smile.

Nozomi nodded, “All about us.” she echoed quietly.


	22. Chapter 22

After Eli left Nozomi went to the table to start looking over the documents Eli had left. “It will be a long night.” she quietly commented to herself. First she skimmed through the files provided, then looked over the pictures that came with them. This process took a couple of hours, which was then followed by another hour of scanning and sending images of the documents with her report. Finally she assembled the files once again, _I have to hide these. This will be a very long night._ Nozomi thought with a sigh.

Nozomi kept a basic set of hardware tools in a closet, which she took out. She started cutting a place out of the inside of the closet doorframe, creating a spot in the hollow walls, placing the papers inside and putting the outermost material she cut out back into the doorframe. _Any hiding place involves a trade-off between security and access._ Nozomi sighed as she remembered one of her trainers quoting that In English. _This will have to do for now, I will have to see what can be done in the next day or so._ Finally, late into the night, Nozomi went to bed for a couple hours of sleep before she had to show up for school.

\----

A few hours later Sasaki received the report with the images of the files in his office. _We will have to change our procedures, she can no longer rely on being unknown as a primary security mechanism. This makes things much more difficult._ He would send the files off to be analyzed and cross-referenced with already known information. _We don’t even know if these files are any good._ With that Sasaki picked up the phone.

“Go ahead Sasaki.” the voice on the other end answered.

“The Otonokizaka operative has been outed.” Sasaki began. “We’re not sure how many people are aware at this time. The outing was done by a person claiming to want to defect. We can abandon this operation, we still have time to intervene directly.”

“We do not need to make a decision to intervene yet. Did the defector bring anything of value?” the voice asked.

“A couple files we are cross referencing now.” Sasaki reported.

“Files that need cross referenced? Hardly worthy of notice. We can think about it when something more useful is provided.” the voice replied.

“You’re not going to get another interceptor gift wrapped for you.” Sasaki commented drily, for once being sarcastic on a call.

“You heard that story, too?” the voice asked. “That was over 30 years ago.” The voice did at least manage a small laugh. “Things had more clarity back then. Regardless, did the Otonokizaka operative make any recommendations?”

“Run her as a double agent and see how much information we can get before having to perform an extraction.” Sasaki said.

“She has good sense. We have been waiting a year for this. Operations have risk, we will consider what the defector wants when something of sufficient use has been provided.” the voice concluded. With that the line went dead, and Sasaki sent the orders to Nozomi.

\----

Nozomi was tired upon waking up, the long night and long day ahead did little to make her feel better. Upon checking messages in the morning she sighed, _This makes such a mess of things. New communication methods, new objectives, lacking the advantage of being unknown. Well, that and running an asset that I have to keep emotionally stable._

Upon arriving at the student council room, Eli was the only one there. “Good morning, Elichi!” she managed to say, hiding her fatigue behind enthusiasm.

“Good morning, Nozomi.” Eli replied. “There’s a lot of paperwork to go through. A parfait after we are done here today?” she asked.

“Make it coffee.” Nozomi said as she sat down, her tone flattened. Then she offered a smile, “Sometimes a change is nice, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Okay.” Eli agreed. With that the two spent the rest of their morning processing paperwork.

\----

Classes and the afternoon dragged on for Nozomi, who was already quite tired. She was thankful she was not needed at the shrine. Nozomi was relieved when Eli finally said, “We can be done for today. Coffee still?” she asked.

“Yes.” Nozomi managed to say.

The two women went and sat down at a corner of the coffee shop after receiving their drinks. They drank in silence at first.

“Nozomi, about last night” Eli began.

“Elichi, know that I care about you.” Nozomi said quietly. “I know you meant no harm, but you did something very dangerous. I believe you, but you must know reality is not that simple. You will have to listen very carefully to me. Come home with me after this.”

Eli simply nodded and the two finished their drinks in silence.

\----

Once at Nozomi’s apartment, Nozomi closed the door behind them. “Sit.” she said to Eli. Eli sat on the couch quickly. “You need to understand your situation, Elichi. A few files is not enough for my superiors. Especially when it’s information they likely already knew. You made a poor choice in your past affiliations, my superiors are not going to absolve you so easily.”

“I know.” Eli said quietly.

“They think it would be easier to simply interrogate you on what you know and be done with you. Of course, after the interrogation were done you would be on your own with no one to protect you.” Nozomi explained. “They would be willing to work with you if you can earn their trust. Right now I am the only one that believes you, and I can offer some protection, but you must understand my superiors will want results. They want hard information. Financial records. Training facility locations. Names of cover identities used by operatives. You feeding your superiors the information you are told to provide them.” _It is a pity. If she had never developed a conscience this would be nearly impossible, yet that is the thing that makes her vulnerable, and so it must be used._ Nozomi considered, but she continued, “Our relationship is very real, Elichi, and I would never want harm to come to you. That is why I am doing what I can, but you must provide results or even I will not be able to do anything.”

Eli nodded again. “I… know. I realized I didn’t want to lose you. I didn’t know if you felt the same way, so I had to take a chance. I’m glad you feel like I do.”

 _Didn’t my trainer warn us about forming attachments to others?_ Nozomi asked herself, _Those attachments give people the very tools they need to control you. It is even more unfortunate when the object of affection is the very person trying to control you._ After a few seconds Nozomi smiled again, “Of course I feel that way, Elichi. That is why I am trying my best to help you. For now you should go home, I will provide you the information you need to send me any information you find.”

Eli stood up and walked towards the door. “Thank you.” she said quiet.

“Of course, Elichi, I care about you.” Nozomi replied.

Nozomi fell asleep soon after Eli left. As usual, thoughts of guilt never crossed her mind as she slept soundly.


	23. Chapter 23

Eli left Nozomi’s apartment and began to return home. _I am being asked for the impossible._ she thought. _No, I can’t have any doubts. What’s done is done. Either I succeed or I have two organizations who will see me as a threat to be rid of._ As she continued on her way home, she began to reflect on the events that lead to her being in the situation she is in now.

\----

Eli’s formative years were spent in Russia in the chaotic nineties. The world was changing too rapidly for most adults in her life to comprehend, let alone a young girl understanding what the changes meant. She never thought of her parents as particularly impoverished at that age, most of the other people she dealt with on a regular basis were similar to her own family. They were simply people trying to get by.

Still, her parents managed to get her enrolled in ballet lessons at a young age. Initially she showed promise, but there were those who began ballet even earlier than she did, and were enrolled in better programs. Within a couple years her ability to perform ballet was clearly inferior to those who had advantages over her. On the surface, her family was reassuring and supportive, but Eli could never avoid perceiving their reaction as disappointment.

By the time she was a teenager, she was well aware of the significant sacrifice her family had made for her to study ballet, which only made the feeling of her failure even worse. She had also become more aware that her family did not have a great deal of money. Often by this time she thought, _I don’t want to live like this. I don’t want to have to worry about money._

At fifteen she took a train to Vladivostok to answer an ad recruiting for a model. Looking back, Eli became aware of how naïve she was. At the time she only saw the glamour, the promise of wealth and fame, an escape from the life that she knew. She remembered how easy the whole process seemed, once the people initially evaluating her learned she had Japanese ancestry they had quickly offered her a contract to study Japanese then work in Japan. Her first thought upon seeing it was, _More money than my family made in several years._ Making the decision to sign was easy.

Eli hadn’t quite understood what was meant by, “Study Japanese” until she realized she was in a six month long full immersion program. There was to be no speaking of Russian, no reading in Russian, no communication that was not in Japanese. She remembered the initial trauma, the isolation of not being able to communicate. Within a month, however, she had achieved basic proficiency and realized the living conditions at the language school were much nicer than what she was used to. _Speaking Japanese is a small price to pay for these comforts._ she often thought.

By the time the six months were done, Eli had achieved near fluency with Japanese. The money she had been paid just for completing the training was quite good as well. Not everyone in her training had succeeded, but Eli was fortunate. The next thing Eli remembered was what happened after the language training had ended.

\----

“I don’t understand.” Eli said as she looked through the pile of papers in front of her. “What is the meaning of this?” she asked loudly. “I’m supposed to go to Japan to be a model!”

“The plans have changed.” a Russian man in a suit began to explain, in Russian. “Do not worry, the work will be easier and you will be paid the same. Also you will likely be able to keep finding work for much longer than a model.””

“But this calls for an entirely new identity? Mission objectives?” Eli asked, still in disbelief.

“Such things exist to protect you. Do not worry, so long as you achieve your objectives you will have a generous operations budget, on top of the money already promised to you.” the man explained.

“So this plan, I just… ask people to come to Russia with me, make an introduction, and that’s it?” Eli asked.

“Essentially yes. Keep in mind you will have plenty of resources. Besides, you are attractive, just find someone with a moderate degree of intelligence, be their friend, seduce them, whatever it is you have to do, just get them close enough to agree to get on the plane with you. Once that is done, you will receive a new assignment as well as a bonus should those you introduce to us do particularly well.” he elaborated.

“Can you give me some time to consider?” Eli asked.

“Of course.” the Russian man said and he left the room.

_It’s just making an introduction, right?_ Eli asked herself as she looked through the details of what her new life in Japan would be like. _I’m not making anyone do anything, I’m just introducing them of their own free will._ At first, she met at the idea with horror, but as a couple hours passed she had assured herself there was nothing wrong. Her mental objections became weaker quickly when faced with the promised rewards. _Other than changing the assignment, they have completed all of their other promises. What else am I to do, return home to poverty?_

“I’ll sign.” Eli finally agreed.

“You have made the right decision.” the Russian man assured her. With that it was time to learn her new legend, her new school, her new life.

\----

The first time was surprisingly easy. Eli arrived under her first legend as a transfer student, quickly received a great deal of attention from both her male and female classmates over her appearance. She chose a boy for the first time. Fifteen years old. He seemed intelligent if a bit naïve. After a month she confessed to him, which he readily accepted. She used her operational budget to indulge him whenever she could. Finally, three months after starting, she asked him to accompany her to Russia to nominally meet her parents. He accepted. On arrival she made the introductions as specified, left the room shortly thereafter, and received her next legend and next location.

Eli tried not to think about what happened after the introductions were made, unless it was a bonus deposited to one of her bank accounts. New school, new person, new trip to Russia on the next break, new introduction, rinse, repeat. It was a simple exercise. What suspicion she aroused at the schools she attended was not her concern.

\----

Five years later she was given a different assignment. “Otonokizaka?” she asked her handler.

“A simple assignment. We need someone to monitor the school. It is already failing, we just need to ensure there is no sudden resurgence. Even more simple than your previous assignments.” the handler assured her.

“I was never trained in tradecraft.” Eli protested.

The handler smiled, “Nothing to worry about, you should need little more than what you have gained over the past five years. This will also be your final high school assignment. Complete this assignment and you will have a bright future ahead of you. You will also be staying with two of our more experienced operatives as their daughter, so should you need additional instruction you will have people available.”

_A promotion after this operation? I could use it. I am becoming too old for high schools._ Eli thought. It was never that the previous operations became more difficult, but Eli had started to grow more distant from the students she was supposed to get close to due to the increasing age difference. “Then I will go.” Eli agreed.

Then she was provided another file, “Your new legend, the identity Eli Ayase. The daughter of a successful family, you should have no problem excelling in Japanese academics by now so your performance there should not be an issue.” the handler answered. “I suppose I should congratulate you, as this will be your first longer term operation.”

“Thank you.” Eli replied before going to study her new legend.

\----

Eli had decided early on that she would simply try to get through the three years at Otonokizaka. The assignment was simple and it was unlikely she needed anything. At the beginning of the year she received the benefits of her appearance, but soon found it unfulfilling. It was easy enough to remain detached, by now the age difference between Eli and her classmates was sufficiently large that she found it difficult to relate to most of her classmates anyway.

Then she met Nozomi. Eli watched and listened as Nozomi was able to use her cards to lay bare emotional truths about Eli that she had been ignoring for years. _No, I don’t care about being alone._ Eli insisted to herself at first, but by the time it was done, she realized she did care. _I suppose having someone to spend the next three years with will not be too bad._

\----

At first, all was well, Eli had someone in her life she could relate to. Then the new orders came.

“I’m supposed to recruit Nozomi? An actual recruitment, not just making an introduction?” Eli asked the woman who played the role of her mother.

“It is very similar to what you have previously done, you just need to convince them working with you is what they want, and they will be more than happy to listen to you. If you can convince someone to board a plane with you, this is not much harder.” the older woman answered.

Eli nodded.

\----

Normally Eli’s process was somewhat aloof from that of her target. It was also sufficiently easy for most of her targets to be distracted by the money being spent on them and explain that as her showing affection. Nozomi never seemed terribly impressed by the money, it always seemed like she valued emotional intimacy over the material. This demanded that Eli needed to connect to her in that way. The difference in methods for Eli was obvious. In the past she never felt too much when performing her duties, but with Nozomi she realized the closer she got to her the more the distance between the two was closed, which nominally made the actual task she was assigned easier, but made actually executing the task more difficult emotionally.

\----

By now Eli had finally returned to her home. Remembering just that much was emotionally draining as it was. She was too tired to focus on many of the other details right away. _My old life is gone. This life is gone as well. I need to prepare._ With that she fell asleep. While she did not sleep particularly well, the sleep was a welcome respite from what the waking world provided her currently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A partial backstory for Eli this time around. I probably could have made this several times longer than I did, but I was afraid several chapters of backstory would bog things down too much, hence many of the choices made in using exposition in several areas.
> 
> I use the name "Eli" in narration for the same reason I use, "Nozomi." It's not that those are their real names, but it is easier to refer to them that way for consistency and to keep things easy to understand.


	24. Chapter 24

Eli went to see Nozomi again the next evening. This time she carried a bag of maps and a dark pen. Upon arrival, she spread the map out on the table. “This is where the train stopped when I signed the initial contract.” she eventually explained to Nozomi, making a dot on the map. “From there I was driven” and with this she drew a couple circles around the first dot, “Probably somewhere within these two circles. I can only estimate as it was six years ago and I can remember how long I was in the car, but not the direction or speed.” _Who knew so many years of high school math would eventually prove useful?_ Eli thought as she continued.

Then Eli took out a map of Japan, placing a series of dots on it. “The locations of previous assignments.” she explained to Nozomi. Then she took out another piece of paper, “A list of names as well.”

Nozomi took the paper, and looked at the map. “You are being forthcoming, Elichi, and these will certainly be taken as a sign of good will, but this is essentially a confession of your own crimes. These are very serious offenses, you know. I can hold onto these for a while, but you will need to prove you are more valuable if permitted to remain free and report to us rather than just an interrogation.”

_Still the threat of interrogation?_ Eli asked herself. _It’s never enough, I can’t offer enough, and now I’m being watched by people who know far more than I do._ Eli sighed, “Please, Nozomi, I can do more. Hold onto these, don’t just turn me in.” _You aren’t working for the Japanese anyway. You won’t just hand me over to them so casually._ Eli didn’t think that with complete confidence, but it was enough for her to comfort herself in the moment.

“I can tell them I believe you are well intentioned, Elichi, but we will need much more information. How many others like you are in Japan?” Nozomi asked. “You have a chain of command, you need to know something about that. You are doing better, but it will still not be enough for my superiors.” Nozomi always framed it that way, that she believed Eli and supported her wholly, it was her superiors which were the source of the trouble. It was a tactic which allowed her to keep acting friendly to Eli while still pressing for more information. _Enough evidence for a confession is great, but it would be even better to use that to have her do even more._ Nozomi concluded.

“Fine. I’ll get more.” Eli agreed. “I just need more time. Please, just let me have more time?” Eli asked quietly. “For us?” she asked next.

“Of course I can give you more time, but I need something I can use to show you are useful like this. Otherwise I will not be able to help you.” Nozomi agreed.

Eli nodded and left soon after that. A part of her resented how Nozomi treated her in regards to this. It was always so harsh, whatever she provided was never enough. Yet she also realized that to not cooperate would mean losing everything she worked for up to this point. _After years of needing only basic skills, it appears I need to learn how to be a proper operative, and quickly._ Eli sighed as she went home.

\----

Sasaki received the new set of maps and documents from Nozomi. _Hopefully this will be enough to disrupt some near future operations._ he thought. Then he picked up the phone.

“Go ahead Sasaki.” the voice from the other end began.

“We have potential maps of at least one training facility and a list of names of potential new operatives to run down from the Otonokizaka operation.” Sasaki explained.

“It appears we are beginning to see some fruit of it. Even if the Otonokizaka operation fails its objectives, it may well have been worth it.” the voice replied. “Report in a few days.” With that the line went dead.

\----

After hanging up the phone with Sasaki, the old man stood up. He was an older Japanese man, having passed 60 not too long ago. He left the office he was in to an outer room.

“Mr. Shimizu, it is time to take you to the airport.” An assistant said.

“Yes, of course.” Shimizu replied, his voice as calm as all of his previous conversations with Sasaki. “The conference is soon.”

Shortly thereafter Shimizu was driven to the airport to board a plane for his trip to Northern California.

\----

Home was a very different experience for Eli now. While it was never a place where her family actually lived, it went from a place to sleep in relative safety to a place that no longer offered Eli even that much. The woman using the cover of Eli’s mother was no longer just a more experienced operative, but now a hostile presence, one which Eli feared, especially as Eli was well aware that the woman had decades of experience on her.

The man she married, thankfully, wasn’t an experienced operative, just another person who fell in love with someone he should have avoided. He wasn’t particularly dangerous, but Eli knew his loyalties were closer to his wife than to Eli and would report anything too suspicious. Maps were relatively easy to acquire at a store, or to order them online and have them delivered to a safe place. All of the information provided so far was not too difficult to provide. Unfortunately Eli no longer had the luxury of low hanging fruit to provide Nozomi.

_I need to think about my next steps._ Eli thought as she looked on her laptop at the place that served as her home. _I need to move the money, somewhere no one will be able to reach it. The money is legal, at least, sent through a legitimate modeling agency. Then to launder the money. If I am cut off I will need some way to support myself, especially if they decide to cause more trouble than that._ Eli needed more than skills, she needed to reorder her entire life while keeping that reordering secret from everyone else. _This is impossible._ she thought, _but I have no other choices now, do I?_ These kinds of thoughts were always accompanied by regrets of asking for Nozomi’s help, but they were always squashed soon enough. _She’s only doing what she has to do. I can’t afford to lose her in this too._


	25. Chapter 25

A few days later Eli found herself in front of a Japanese man at a bar in a seedier neighborhood, the kind where people did not ask many questions so long as money changed hands. The room was dark with the occasional flashing lights of various colors, which only made it harder to see clearly. Eli was dressed in a dark suit, matching skirt, and light blue blouse. She let her hair down for this meeting. She went so far as to wear sunglasses, even in a dark bar such as this. Overall, the image was for a woman at least in her mid-twenties rather than that of the teenager Eli Ayase.

“Your papers, Miss Matsuoka.” the man across from her said. In front of him was a complete collection of identifications, a Japanese passport, driver’s licenses, as well as detailed account histories for a 25 year old Japanese woman. “Everything is in order.” he explained.

Eli went to examine the documents. _Keiko Matsuoka. I suppose it will do._ she thought, going through some of the documents. _Thankfully I know what quality documents look like._ she considered as she continued going through them, declining to think about how exactly she acquired that experience. “Thank you.” she said after a few minutes. Then she handed over a brown bag to the man. “One million.” Eli said.

“I wish you well on your new life, Miss Matsuoka.” the man said before leaving.

\----

The next stop was an apartment building nearby. It wasn’t in the best shape, it looked like it could certainly use some maintenance, but Eli wasn’t here for the quality of service the building would provide.

“I need to see the building manager.” Eli said upon walking in.

The person behind the counter in the office at this hour looked up, “You’re out of luck, he’s busy. Come back tomorrow.”

Eli then took a ten thousand yen note from another bag she had with her and placed it on the counter, “I understand there may be a fee for speaking with him this late. I assure you that is not a problem.”

The man behind the desk looked up at Eli, then at the note, taking it and pocketing it. “Give me a few minutes.”

“Fine.” Eli replied. “Tell him Keiko Matsuoka wishes to meet with him. If he asks who I am, inform him I will make it well worth his time.”

With that the man left, a few minutes later an older man, in his mid-fifties came back. “Miss Matsuoka?” he asked, less than pleased at being brought out into the office at this hour.

“Yes.” Eli replied. “I need a pre-furnished unit.” she began.

“Well, fill out an application.” the manager replied, seeming disinterested.

“I would, but I am in a bit of a hurry.” Eli then took out the brown bag she withdrew the note from just a few minutes ago. “One year, in advance, if you take care of the paperwork and provide me the keys right now. Make sure utilities are taken care of as well.”

The manager looked through the bag, looking through the money stored within. Then he put the bag down and took a key, “Last unit on the second floor.” He said, declining to ask any further questions.

Eli took the key, “Thank you.” she said. Then left the office and went to the apartment.

The unit was furnished, if a bit run down. Paint in a few places was missing, and there were a few dents in walls. _Well at least there’s no blood._ Eli thought as she took the tour. It was only a main room, a restroom, and two bedrooms, so it did not take too long.

With that, it was late, and she needed to return home. Even with her recent acquisitions she still had school to attend in the morning.

\----

It wasn’t so much that Eli was actively avoiding Nozomi so much as spending as little time with her as possible. Nozomi would invite Eli over, or for parfaits, or something after school, but for several days Eli managed to decline by simply saying she was busy. Nozomi didn’t seem to press the issue too hard. _They’re likely trying to confirm the information they already have._ Eli thought. She didn’t mind, actually being relieved that it seemed that Nozomi had other priorities than Eli.

\----

As much as Eli wanted to enjoy time to herself, with Nozomi being otherwise occupied, she instead had work to do. The next couple nights involved a return to the apartment she just bought dressed in one of her dark suits. After a couple hours of buying small things to store in the apartment, Eli would then enter one of the nearby clubs, often finding someone isolated and offering to buy them a drink.

“Hello?” the man at the booth Eli approached asked in greeting as she sat down, not bothering to ask if the seat was open.

“A bottle of vodka!” Eli called out. Then in a slightly quieter tone addressed the man with a smile, “Keiko Matsuoka.” she said as a greeting. “You’re having a couple drinks with me!” she announced.

He seemed stunned at first, but looking over Eli offered a smile of his own. “Fine. Vodka. But what brings a woman like you here?”

“Can’t a woman enjoy a drink with a man?” Eli asked. “Work has been very messy recently and I want to have a drink with someone. You don’t mind.” It was not phrased as a question, and she immediately added afterwards, “Of course not! I’m the kind of woman you would dream about.” she suggested. _Are adults really as easy to manipulate as children?_ Eli asked herself, then she smiled again. _At least I have a cover that can drink now, might as well enjoy this while I can._

“I don’t know.” he began to say before a server put a bottle of vodka on the table along with a couple shot glasses.

Eli quickly moved to fill up the two shot glasses with vodka. She took one in her right hand, the other in her left and offered the one in her left to the man, who quickly accepted. “We must toast, it is required!” Eli declared again, easily maintaining control of the conversation. “To your meeting me, Keiko Matsuoka! You will never meet another like me!” Eli laughed as she said it. She was enjoying a role where she could be the center of somebody’s attention. _This is so much more fun when they make it easy._ she thought.

The man readily agreed to the toast, and they both did their shots. Immediately after which Eli began to pour another. “You have to keep up with me!” she insisted, “Keeping up with a woman isn’t that hard, is it? Or am I too much for you? Maybe I should find someone else?” but instead he readily agreed to more shots.

\----

A few shots later, both Eli and the man she sat with were rather intoxicated. “So what is it, exactly, that you do, Matsuoka?” the man asked.

“I really shouldn’t tell you!” Eli said. She was intoxicated, but she made a point to emphasize this. “But I do want to tell you! What should I do?” The man started to answer, but Eli interrupted him again, “I think it’ll be more fun if I just let you imagine what it is I do!” then she laughed, “And no, it’s not sleeping with you, before you get any ideas it’s that kind of thing.”

He started to speak up again, but Eli stood up and interrupted again, “Shh! Don’t tell anyone about me, okay?” she said with a bright smile, _And thus ensuring you will tell everyone about me._ she thought as she paid with another ten thousand yen note on her way out.

By the time she left it was late, and she returned home for the evening, leaving the new apartment unattended for the night once again.


	26. Chapter 26

“Is there any new intelligence from Eli Ayase?” Sasaki asked over the phone.

“Nothing in the past two weeks.” Nozomi replied, using a new phone that she would use for a few calls, then discarded soon enough. _I suppose procedures could be worse. At least we aren’t reduced to communicating via dead drops and flags._ Nozomi thought as she answered the question.

“She hasn’t run away, has she?” Sasaki asked.

“No, she’s still attending school and performing her duties as student council president. We still talk, but she has likely handed over everything she can easily access. Getting more information out of her is going to be increasingly difficult.” Nozomi answered. “We do not need to worry about her running too much. We have enough information to hand over to authorities to prosecute if it comes to that. She’s a young woman with the bare minimum of training, I seriously doubt she could hide from everyone that would be after her if she ceased to cooperate, and she does not need another reminder of that right now.”

“You are being permitted to run the asset as you see fit, but if she makes a mess, it will be your responsibility.” Sasaki reminded her.

“I know how to run an asset.” Nozomi said sharply. “I’ll take care of it. These aren’t operatives with years of dedicated training, they’re children being taught as quickly as possible. I’ll check in at the next interval.” With that Nozomi ended the call.

_The old man must be busy._ Nozomi thought. _Sasaki is going back to his paranoid micromanaging ways._

\----

After a few more days of going out and buying drinks in establishments of questionable repute, Eli went out in her suit once again. This time, after her first couple bars, a much larger man in a dark suit stopped her. Eli managed to get a glimpse of skin that’s supposed to be covered by clothing, seeing the beginnings of a tattoo. “Miss Matsuoka. You need to come with me.” the man said by way of introduction.

Eli smiled as she heard this, “Of course!” she agreed readily, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, but she didn’t put up any resistance as she was lead through a couple hallways to an office, where a couple more men were waiting, who immediately started patting Eli down.

“She’s clean.” one of the men declared.

“Of course I am, why would I need a weapon?” Eli asked.

“Sit.” was the order given to Eli next, who complied. The room was nice enough, a desk with a nice chair behind it, a couple chairs in front of it where Eli took a seat.

“Here she is, the woman who has just arrived to this neighborhood and makes a great deal of noise.” A new voice said, followed by the owner of that voice walking into the room and taking a seat behind the desk. He was a Japanese man in his mid-forties. “None of my sources could agree upon exactly what it is that you do, or what you were doing here, so I thought it would be easier for me to ask you myself.” Then he looked at one of the men that brought Eli in, “No weapon? I am not sure if you are mocking me or not, but I hope you understand, you seem to be a dangerous woman, and I must take precautions.”

Eli smiled as the reason for this meeting was explained. Certainly, a part of her felt fear, but her fear was far outstripped by the feeling of excitement she had. “I’ve been wanting to meet you too!” she said, the excitement coming through in her voice. “Well, actually, I wanted to meet one of your accountants, but I am glad I met you too. Obviously you know who I am, and you are?”

“Call me Daiki.” the man behind the desk replied. “And you want me to work with you, after causing all of this noise? It is bad for business.”

“No more than any other person spending a lot of money in the area.” Eli replied. “Do not worry, I am not here to ask for a favor, I wanted to make a trade with you.”

“And what is it a woman like you with such a big mouth has to trade?” Daiki asked, obviously skeptical.

“Think of me as working in procurement. How about I give you a place to pick up a nice present, and in exchange, you introduce me to one of your accountants if you like the gift?” Eli suggested. “I have powerful friends, it is much better to be another one of my friends than my enemy.”

“You think you can intimidate me?” Daiki asked. He looked at one of the larger men, then looked at Eli. The larger man approached Eli, hitting her on the lower left side of her chest. Eli exhaled as the blow struck her.

_Probably a broken rib._ Eli thought as the impact hit her and she noticed it was harder to breath. Still she managed to offer a smile, _It’s amazing what ballet can teach you to endure._ she thought. “I’m not intimidating you. I just want to offer you a gift in exchange for a meeting. But hit me again and I will have to tell my friends that you were just not very polite and there will not be a gift. I promise, you will quite enjoy what I have to offer you.”

“Fine. Do not make me regret this.” Daiki said.

\----

A couple days later Eli received information from the accountant she requested a meeting with. She was now a partner in owning a restaurant in Akihabara. _Perfect._ Eli thought. Her chest still hurt somewhat when she breathed from the broken rib, but she knew it was getting better, or at least more tolerable. She left her duties as the student council president early, put on her suit and sunglasses and took a train to Akihabara. She then found the restaurant with a chalkboard outside advertising the day’s specials. _I suppose it would not hurt to see what kind of place I own._ Eli thought as she went inside.

“Welcome home, master!” Eli heard a trio of girls dressed as maids greet her as she entered.

_A maid café?_ Eli realized as she walked in. _I am a partner in a maid café?_ She offered a smile to the girls. “Thank you.” she said as she was led to a table and ordered a parfait.

Halfway through her parfait an older woman approached Eli, “You are the new partner, Keiko Matsuoka. I am the manager here. May I please speak with you?” she asked.

“After the parfait.” Eli replied with a smile, “A parfait should be enjoyed peacefully, don’t you agree?” The manager agreed readily enough. _Parfaits really do taste better with Nozomi, though._ Eli thought.

Eventually, Eli did finish the parfait and the manager returned and took a seat next to her. “You are the new partner, Keiko Matsuoka, right?”

“I am.” Eli confirmed. “I wanted to see what kind of place I was a partner for.” she explained.

“Well” the manager began, lowering her voice, “I heard you’re the kind of woman who can help me.”

“What gives you that idea? I’m just a woman who is a partial owner of a maid café.” Eli responded with a smile.

“No. I asked around about the new partner. People say she is a very good problem solver. Someone who makes things go away. It’s about one of my girls. Well, one of your girls now too.” The manager explained.

“Tell me, what is the problem that one of my girls is having?” Eli asked.

“Well, she stopped coming to work.” the manager began. “One of the customers, he, he took too much of an interest in her. Started following her. I banned him from entering the café but there’s not much I can do beyond that. Her friends also said she refuses to go to school now as well.”

“And you want me to do what with this man?” Eli asked.

“Just make it stop! She’s one of your girls now too, so I thought you might understand.” the manager said.

“I see.” Eli replied.

“I can offer you free parfaits for life?” the manager offered, hesitantly.

Eli smiled with this. “Fine. I’ll take care of it. Give me the girl’s name and address and this will be over soon.”

“Thank you, Miss Matsuoka.” the manager said.


	27. Chapter 27

Finally, after school at the student council, Eli asked Nozomi, “Can we talk at your place tonight?” By this point it had been nearly three weeks since she had been over there.

“Of course, Elichi!” Nozomi readily agreed.

\----

At Nozomi’s apartment, after entering, Eli closed the door. Once that was done she didn’t hesitate, “I need a gun.” Her tone was serious, no joke, no humor, just the statement informing Nozomi of her need of a weapon.

“Why would you need such a thing, Elichi?” Nozomi asked, her tone light. It wasn’t that Nozomi was making light of Eli’s request so much as it was clear there was a situation she knew nearly nothing about.

“I… took a job.” Eli began to explain. “Girl at my café in Akihabara being harassed by some guy. She’s hiding in her home and refuses to leave, he’s hovering, and I need to make him go away. That’s the job. For that I need a gun.”

“Eli.” Nozomi began, the sixteen year old act dropped completely. “I am not even going to consider this request until you tell me exactly what is going on, because it is obvious these past few weeks you’ve been hiding from me. I thought you just needed some space, but obviously you have been acting on your own, and I need to know what you are doing. So let’s start with why you have a café in Akihabara.”

“Well, a week or so ago I met some Yakuza to help me launder some money into a new identity so I wouldn’t lose all my money if I were discovered.” Eli began to explain.

“You did what?” Nozomi asked, clearly irritated. “You, a Russian woman who has no clue what she’s doing, met Yakuza. To launder money. And you have a new identity, do you have any idea how to even get identity papers?”

“Yeah, my documents are good. Keiko Matsuoka. She also has an apartment paid for in cash.” Eli explained.

“And how did you get the Yakuza’s attention?” Nozomi asked next.

“I spent a lot of money in some of their establishments.” Eli replied.

“And you somehow convinced them to just let you in on one of their money laundering operations? You can be convincing, but you are not convincing enough to make it happen within three weeks.” Nozomi pointed out.

“I told them I could get them special items that they would have trouble importing.” Eli replied.

“What did you get them?” Nozomi asked next, she was quite irritated. “I am starting to think you made quite the mess.”

“Urban tactical assault gear. Things to breach doors with, flashbangs, shotguns, everything you would need for an enclosed space. I had it shipped to a special location just for them! They were so happy they agreed to put me on the paperwork for the café!” Eli said, proud of this accomplishment.

“How did you, someone who has never participated in an actual operation before, manage to smuggle in that kind of hardware that quickly?” Nozomi asked next.

“I… I asked my organization to do it. I figured they had plenty and I had an operational budget.” Eli explained. “So I made the most of it.”

“And you got them to agree to this how?” Nozomi asked, the questions becoming more pointed.

“I…” Eli paused. “I might have told them it was because I hired a team to extract you.”

“So far the story you have told me is you went, talked to Yakuza, bought a new identity, supplied them with tactical assault equipment, all for a place to launder your money?” Nozomi sighed. “If you wanted to launder money you could have just asked. We could have helped you with that.”

“You were less than friendly when I got the idea.” Eli said defensively. “And besides, I don’t want your people to control the money either. Is it so bad that I have some actual financial control over my life when this is done?” she asked.

“Fine. So we’re at the point where you’ve committed multiple felonies and we aren’t even at the point of you explaining why you want a gun yet.” Nozomi said, not even hiding her irritation at this point.

“I can explain that too. So I went to the café, it’s a maid café. One of the girls has a stalker and I was asked to help.” Eli explains.

“And why would anyone get the idea to ask you for help dealing with something like that?” Nozomi asked.

“I might have spread a few rumors that I was a scary secret agent?” Eli asked, her voice quiet now.

“Yes, you have made quite the mess, Eli.” Nozomi confirms. “So let me guess what happened next, you accept this job, and because you have no actual training like the rumors you started insist you do, you don’t know how to get rid of this person. You can’t fight, so you think just shooting him is the solution. Am I right?”

Eli just nodded.

“Okay, you need to learn to think. Do you know why this guy is stalking the girl? Do you know if he works for anyone? Do you know if he can call for help and expect it to arrive in a timely manner?” Nozomi asked, the questions are asked in a rapid manner. “No, you don’t know any of that, do you?”

“No.” Eli admitted, her eyes now looking downward.

“And besides that, even if I could get you a gun, after everything you said, do you actually know how to use one?” Nozomi asked.

“You point and pull the trigger?” Eli asked in reply.

“There’s more to it than that. Casings, reloading, safeties, range, sights, knowing how to hold the weapon.” Nozomi continued. “I don’t know what they taught you in Russia about guns, but if you’re using a gun in Japan you better have an excellent reason. Which you don’t.” Nozomi then sighed. “I’ll help you out of this mess you made for yourself, Eli, but we are doing this my way. And you will follow my orders while we do this. You will be helping. Are we understood?”

“Yes.” Eli agreed.

“Excellent. We’ll start tomorrow after student council is done.” Nozomi said.

“Nozomi?” Eli then asked quietly.

“Yes?” Nozomi said.

“Thank you, and I’m sorry.” Eli said quietly.

“Save your apologies, let’s clean up your mess.” Nozomi said. Then she offered a smile and her voice tone became lighter again, “Okay, Elichi?”

Eli nodded with a smile this time.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between chapters, but I really felt like this chapter needed to be a full story that could be read in one sitting and enjoyed rather than having to wait over the span of a week.

The next day Eli dressed up as Keiko Matsuoka, with the dark suit and sunglasses. Nozomi followed suit, wearing a purple blouse that matched her hair, which was being worn down today, rather than the light blue Eli preferred.

“Here is where she lives.” Eli said, walking onto the stairs of an apartment complex.

“We need to talk about your covers after this.” Nozomi said flatly.

“I like dressing like this.” Eli said with a smile, before knocking on a door.

A woman who appeared to be in her forties answered. “Hello? What can I do for you?” her tone suspicious of the two women who just appeared at her door.

“Your daughter, Miyako, is having trouble?” Eli asked. “We’re friends of her manager at work, we wanted to help.”

“She refuses to leave her room.” the mother said. “If you can help in any way, I’d appreciate it.”

“We’ll see what we can do.” Eli said with a smile. With that the two walked in and came to the closed door of Miyako’s bedroom. “Miyako?” Eli asked. “Your manager sent us.”

“I can’t go out.” Miyako said through the door.

“Do you mind if we come in?” Eli asked next. The next few seconds were silent. Eli took a hand to open the door but stopped as she saw Nozomi shake her head.

Nozomi took out her phone, writing a message on it before showing it to Eli. <She probably won’t open the door at all today. Tell her she can talk through the door and try to get her to talk to you about the problem.>

Eli nodded. “Well, I’ll just sit out here for a bit then.” she said, taking a seat with her back to her wall next to the door as she looked in the door’s direction. “We know someone has been causing you trouble. Your manager sent us to make him stop. So can you tell us a little bit about what happened?”

“Well, it started a few weeks ago at the café. There was a new person who I served. It went well. Then he became a regular and would always come when I worked. At first it wasn’t so bad, especially when it didn’t go beyond work.” Miyako said through the door, then she stopped talking.

“What happened next?” Eli asked. “Has anything actually happened yet?”

It took Miyako several seconds before she continued. “Then he started waiting for me outside of work. He said he liked me and wanted to spend time with me outside of work. I tried to tell him it wasn’t okay, but then I think he followed me home one day. I’m not sure, but I haven’t been out since, I don’t want to see him again.” the voice became quieter as she continued.

<Leave her be for now, we have enough.> Nozomi wrote on her phone for Eli to read.

“Don’t worry, I’m here to help.” Eli said, trying to be reassuring. With that she stood up. “Thank you.” she said to the mother.

“I hope you can help her, I’m worried.” the mother replied.

\----

Back at the apartment Eli rented as Keiko Matsuoka the two women sat on a couch that could charitably be considered usable.

“Now, the next step for us is to learn what he looks like.” Nozomi explained. “Where do you think we could get a picture of this person?” she asked Eli. _She really isn’t bad for someone with poor training. I suppose I should take advantage of this. If I want more useful information out of her she is going to need some actual ability._ Nozomi thought.

“We do need a picture, don’t we?” Eli asked. “Well, probably at the café he took pictures with her, right?”

Nozomi smiled, “Good idea. You can go and ask for the picture. After that ask for a maid outfit in your size.”

“Wait, why do I need a maid uniform?” then Eli stopped suddenly, “How does making me wear a maid uniform help?”

“You are going to get a look at who the person who is causing Miyako trouble. Then you’re going to plant a tracking device on him. Entice him to leave Miyako alone and for you to be his target instead. If it’s just a stalker he’ll move on once he has something more interesting than a girl who won’t leave her room.” Nozomi explained.

“So why the tracking device?” Eli asked.

“That is so I know where he goes. We can consider what to do next once we know his habits, but all you need to do is get his attention.” Nozomi said, “I’m sure this task is nothing for a woman like Keiko Matsuoka.” she added drily, smiling at the end of it.

“No, of course not!” Eli insisted. “Even if I have to wear a maid uniform.” Her tone was quieter when the matter of the maid outfit came up.

\----

After school the next day, Eli went ahead, put on her suit, and headed to the café in Akihabara. Nozomi stayed at the school to handle student council business and attend to her duties at the shrine.

“Ah, Miss Matsuoka, what can I do for you today?” the manager asked as Eli walked in.

Eli then walked towards the back, “I need a picture of the stalker. Did you save any that he took with Miyako?” she asked.

“I think so?” the manager said. Soon she produced a camera with a picture of Miyako and a man in his mid-twenties with dark hair.

“Do you know where he spends his time now that Miyako isn’t here?” Eli asked next.

“He spends time near the café still, trying to catch sight of her, but I banned him from here once I realized there was a problem.” the manager explained.

“I need a maid uniform. I also need you to unban him.” Eli said firmly.

“He’s dangerous, and you want me to just let him back in?” the manager asked. “I can’t do that, I don’t want to let him harm the other girls.”

“That is why I will wear the maid uniform. I will be the one to take care of him while he’s here.” then Eli smiled, “Do not worry, he will be so enamored by me he should lose interest in Miyako soon enough, and then I will take care of the problem from there.”

“I’m trusting you, Miss Matsuoka. I dislike your idea, but I will do as you wish.” the manager agreed.

\----

That night at Nozomi’s apartment Eli came back, maid uniform with her. “Why do I have to wear this?” Eli asked, clearly displeased. “Can’t you wear it instead?”

Nozomi smiled, “No, you took the job, I’ll support you, but you wear it. Besides, operatives traditionally looked like people no one would want to touch. Homeless, beggars, lepers, that kind of thing. It’s easier to blend in when nobody wants to see you, but you evidently have a taste for that… look you’re going for with the suits, and that will create trouble for you if you aren’t careful.” Then Nozomi paused again, “Besides, maybe you’ll look nice wearing it. It is your turn to wear something for me, after all, I did let you buy me those clothes last year.”

“Fine.” Eli said eventually.

“Oh.” Nozomi began, then she produced a small red phone, “Take your time, but make sure he gets a hold of this and keeps it on him.”

“Why is that?” Eli asked.

“It has a GPS tracking device inside. I set it up earlier while you were out.” Nozomi explained. “It should give us an idea of his regular activities and what we need to do with him.”

“And how do I do that?” Eli asked.

“You seriously have to ask?” Nozomi replied. Then she shakes her head, “Elichi, after all of your experience, are you really too shy to give a boy a precious gift?” her tone light suddenly, the tone she always uses when they are at school. “I am sure a boy would love attention from you, especially if you also give him a gift to get in touch with you.”

“I get your point.” Eli said flatly, taking the phone.

\----

Eli went to Akihabara, this time in her maid outfit that was recently acquired. She went out to the sidewalk to attract customers. After several minutes of this, she saw the man in the picture, Eli put on a large smile and walked up to him, “Mister!” she said enthusiastically, “Please, come to our maid café!”

“Thought I wasn’t welcome there.” the man replied.

“Well, you weren’t, but I saw how you were outside and I convinced the manager to change her mind and give you another chance!” Eli explained. “So please come in.” At this point Eli grabbed the man’s arm and started dragging him towards the café, though he didn’t offer much in the way of resistance.

Once inside, Eli continued with the bright and excited routine, “Welcome home, master!” Then she led him to a seat in a corner. “Sit here so I can take good care of you today, okay?”

The man nodded wordlessly at this as he took a seat.

“What would you like, master?” Eli said, continuing the act. _This is how maids in a maid café are supposed to act, right?_ she asked herself.

“Just get me something.” the man said, seeming mostly disinterested.

“Right away, master!” Eli chirped. She left for a minute and then came back to the table. “I’m Yuki.”

“I don’t remember a Yuki.” the man said, not seeming too interested.

“Oh, I’m new here! I hope my introduction did not displease you, master.” Eli continued. _This was always easier when I could assume a dominant role instead of the servant._ she thought.

“No, no, you’re kind of cute.” he said. “You are rather enthusiastic.”

“Oh, thank you!” Eli beamed. “One moment master and I’ll bring you something.” Eli left and came back with a parfait. “I don’t know you very well, and you had just returned to the café, so I didn’t know what to get for you. I hope you like it!”

“Sure.” he said, starting to consume the parfait.

Eli took a seat next to him, “You seem so down and lacking energy. It hurts to see master like that, is there anything master would like me to do?” Her tone shifting to one of concern.

“Oh, uh, there was this girl that used to work here, and I wanted to see her, but she’s not here anymore.” the man said.

“Oh, do I not serve master well enough?” Eli asked. “Whatever she did with you, I’ll do it too! Uh, I hope that sounded okay. I just really don’t want to see that sad look on your face.” Then she took the man’s arm again, “Is this okay?” she asks. Then she smiles and quietly says, “I won’t tell the manager, okay? It’ll be between us.” Then Eli guided the man’s had to her right leg, having the hand rub it lightly, “Do I feel good?” she asked.

The man nodded again, his hand starting to move on its own without Eli’s assistance.

Then Eli guided the man’s hand away from her leg. “Not too much or the manager will find out, and if that happened you wouldn’t be able to come back to see me, would you?” she asked.

The man remained silent, finishing the parfait.

Then Eli smiled again and quietly said, “I work tomorrow too, so be sure to see me again, okay? I’ll prepare a special surprise for you and make you smile, I promise!”

He nodded.

\----

Back at Nozomi’s apartment that night Eli returned and complained. “I don’t know what that man’s deal is. He doesn’t talk much and it’s draining just to be with him!”

“Is this too hard for you?” Nozomi asked. “I mean, you are new, but I am sure you can take care of it.” Then she laughed, “I thought you wouldn’t have any trouble with basic seduction. I mean, not that you like men, but you did it often enough, right?”

“Well…” Eli paused, her cheeks turning red, “I mean, it’s harder than I thought to be a maid, okay!” she suddenly exclaimed quickly. “Not that I’m bad at it, I just, he’s so hard to talk to.”

“All the more reason to be his special friend.” Nozomi said. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of student council business while you get him to accept the phone.”

“It’s like you get the easy part.” Eli grumbled.

“Let me know when you can be my backup, then we can talk about switching jobs, okay Elichi?” Nozomi asked in that light tone of hers.

“Fine, I get it. I’ll get him to hold onto the phone.” Eli agreed, though she was less than enthusiastic about doing so.

\----

Over the next couple days Eli went to work at the café while Nozomi handled student council matters. She continued to serve the man and used far more physical contact than the other girls did with the rest of the customers.

“You have come again today, master!” Eli said cheerfully, taking his arm and guiding him to the corner again. “Order another parfait and I shall add in something special!” Though by now Eli found the level of cheerfulness she needed to maintain quite exhausting. “I would like to know master’s name.” she finally said. “I think it will help me serve you better.”

“Hachiro.” he answered.

“Another parfait today, master?” Eli asked. “I promise it will be good.”

“Sure.” Hachiro answered.

“Right away, master!” Eli affirmed.

And soon enough, she had returned with a parfait, placing it in front of Hachiro. Eli then sat next to him. “I know the manager will get mad at me if she sees me with you for too long.” Then Eli passed the red phone to him underneath the table, “Take it, I’m the only one that knows the number, and the number in there is mine so you can call me whenever you want. That way we can spend time together outside of here without the manager finding out.”

Hachiro took the phone and nodded, soon leaving the café shortly after that.

\----

A couple hours after Hachiro left Eli called the red phone.

“Hello?” Hachiro answered.

“Hello. It’s me, Yuki, from earlier!” Eli began. “I have a day off the day after tomorrow and wanted to know if you wanted to do anything.”

“Uh, sure, I’ll let you know.” Hachiro answered.

“Hm, well, meet me by the subway station near the café.” Eli said. “Did you have anything you would like for me to wear?”

“Maybe you’d look nice in a dress?” Hachiro suggested.

“Okay! See you in two days! I’ll surprise you and hope you enjoy it!”

\----

Later that night at Nozomi’s apartment Eli complained, “Have I told you how much I hate this yet?”

“You took the job. At least you finally got him to take the phone.” Nozomi replied, looking at a computer screen. “He’s moving around, invisible at times, probably using the subway system at certain areas.” she explained.

“Do you know the kinds of things I had to do to get him to take it? Men are even worse than boys!” Eli declared, exasperated. “At least with boys if I smiled a bit and acted nice it was enough, but men, they want a girl who will do much more than just smile.”

“Real operatives sometimes have tasks that are actually difficult.” Nozomi said flatly.

“Yes, yes, I get it.” Eli replied.

“Oh, now that is interesting.” Nozomi said, looking at her screen. “He’s been spending quite a bit of time there.”

“What is it?” Eli asked, looking over Nozomi’s shoulder.

“It will take a couple days to be sure, but that appears to be a hostess club your new friend is stopping at.” Nozomi explained. “Could just be he really likes girls, it could be that he works for them.”

“So, what does that all mean, exactly?” Eli asked next.

“I’ll let you know what to do, I have an idea for getting your new friend out of the picture. What kind of personality are you going for with Yuki?” Nozomi asked.

“A bit impulsive, enthusiastic, obsessed with wanting to do a good job.” Eli answered.

“Add a bit of jealousy to it, see how he feels if you tell him you don’t want him spending time with other girls.” Nozomi suggested.

“So you will be watching me, right?” Eli asked, “In case he tries to do anything, of course. Preferably from a nice window in a tall building with a bullet chambered?”

Nozomi sighed, “I’ll be watching you, but I told you, we do this my way, and that means not shooting him unless you can come up with an excellent way to cover it up.”

“Couldn’t you use a silencer?” Eli asked next.

“Firearms are loud, even when you use one.” Nozomi answered. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing too bad happens, but you have to trust me. Just do as I tell you and everything will be fine.”

\----

The next day after classes, Nozomi changed out of her uniform and headed to a park nearby. She was expecting someone. Soon enough, she spotted an older Caucasian man and headed towards him, it was evident the man had likely passed his sixtieth birthday some time ago. As Nozomi approached, she began to smile, and it widened as she got closer. She also moved faster, short of going into an outright run to approach him. “Sergei?” she asked, her tone excited. Then she began to address the man in Russian, “You’re alive!” she said quietly as she stood in front of him. “You’re alive!” she repeated, even happier this time. Sergei stood up, Nozomi quickly embraced the older man. “I missed you!” she said. “They never told me you were still alive after Saint Petersburg.”

“I apologize.” Sergei replied. “I’m sorry no one told you, but you weren’t told because my cover held. You saved me.” He reciprocated the embrace. “You did well. The operation is over now.”

“Will you be in Japan long?” Nozomi asked. “I missed working with you.”

“Probably not. You know how Russian operatives are used. They want the heat to die down a bit but they’ll almost certainly send me back out soon.” Sergei said.

Nozomi finally let go of the older man, “Feel like helping me out a little bit?” she asked, smiling again. “A job so easy it will feel like a vacation still.”

“For you? I owe you plenty.” Sergei agreed.

“I want you to check out a hostess club, just let me know what you find. Message me.” Nozomi said. “It’ll be fun, think of it as a way to practice your Japanese while getting to look at pretty girls if it helps.”

“I’ll let you know.” Sergei agreed, switching to Japanese.

\----

The next day Eli waited outside of the subway station in a light blue dress. “Hachiro, I’m over here!” she called out as she ran towards him. “I’m glad to see you!” Eli said, forcing the enthusiasm to come out in excessive amounts.

“Yeah, sure.” Hachiro replied, only showing mild interest.

“You don’t have other girls you’re seeing, do you?” Eli asked, “I want to shower you with all of my attention but I can’t do that if you’re thinking about other girls.”

“Huh? No.” he said.

“Well, okay, I’ll trust you.” Eli said as she took his arm and started walking away from the station. “Or am I not doing enough for you now?” she asked. Then she took Hachiro’s hand and placed it on one of her breasts. “Will this be enough?” she asked. _This is so disgusting._ Eli thought.

\----

Nozomi was a distance away in the hallway of an office building located several stories up with a camera zoomed in on Eli and Hachiro. As Eli put Hachiro’s hand on her breast and let go, Nozomi snapped several more pictures. _Hopefully that will be enough. Sergei’s work is reliable, this should work._ She thought as she put the camera away and headed down to the ground level to tail Eli and Hachiro.

Once she got to ground level she continued to tail to two, snapping the occasional picture. Eli continued to lead Hachiro around to small attractions, entering stores, leaving them. She also got a picture of the two entering a love hotel and leaving shortly after entering.

\----

That night as Nozomi’s apartment, Eli was complaining again, “Why did you have to have me encourage him to grope me? He wouldn’t stop after I got him started on it. Completely disgusting. And what if he would have wanted to stay in the love hotel, what would you have done then?” she asked, clearly irritated.

“Don’t worry, Elichi, I got plenty of pictures so you did a good job.” Nozomi said with a smile. Then she moved up behind Eli and grabbed her breasts from behind. “Do you like it when I’m doing it better, Elichi?” she asked. _Might as well give her something for today._ Nozomi thought.

Eli smiled and laughed slightly, “It feels better with you doing it.”

Then Nozomi let go. “Hopefully this will be over in a couple more days.” she said. “Watch the student council room tomorrow.”

\----

The next afternoon Nozomi put on her suit, adopted sunglasses similar to what Eli used, and went to the hostess club.

Visiting in the afternoon meant the place was largely unoccupied. Nozomi walked in, “Take me to whoever’s in charge.” she said, her tone one of near boredom.

“And who would you be?” one of the men asked.

“Just somebody who knows something you would be interested in, that’s all.” Nozomi replied.

“And why don’t we just beat it out of you?” another man asked.

“Is that really a good way to do business?” Nozomi asked. “Though you are welcome to try, I won’t mind.”

One of the men rushed towards her, taking out a small knife as he charged. Nozomi lowered her body, grabbing the man’s extended arm and taking her other arm to grasp at his hip. A small movement later the man had been thrown to the ground. Nozomi kicked the knife away from him. “Do we have to do it this way?” she asked. “All I want to do is talk.”

Another man came out from the back.

“Please tell me you’re in charge here.” Nozomi said, her tone bored. “I just want to negotiate with someone sensible.”

“Fine, talk.” he said.

“Hachiro, one of your men.” Nozomi began. “You send him out to get girls, yes?” she paused for a part of a second but continued before anyone could answer, “Wouldn’t you be interested in evidence of his… prior use of some of them?” she asked. “I mean, certainly you want the girls, but you also don’t want to damage them now, do you?”

“And if I’m agreeing with you?” he asked next.

“One million, and I give you the photos and you can come to a decision on your own. How you deal with him is not my concern. Think of me as a consultant, I am just here to help you.” Nozomi explained.

“Five hundred thousand.” the man countered.

“Seven fifty.” Nozomi said with a smile, “Hachiro might be harming your business, and I’m sure one successful girl makes you much more money than that. It would be a shame if these pictures got out that your girls were treated like this by your men.”

“Your evidence better be good.” the man said. He went into the back for a moment before returning with a small bag of money, handing it over.

Nozomi just laid the camera on the bar. “Enjoy.” she said with a slight smile.

The man looked through the pictures, flipping through them. “I’ll take care of this.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Nozomi replied. “Maybe I’ll see you again.” she said on her way out.

The last thing Nozomi heard as she left was the man saying, in an irritated tone, “Get Hachiro in here, we need to talk to him.” Nozomi’s smile widened as she heard that.

\----

“It’s done, Elicihi!” Nozomi said happily at the apartment. “You can contact Miyako to let her know things should be safe now.”

“What did you do, exactly?” Eli asked.

“I went to the hostess club, used the pictures you so helpfully acquired for me, told them they had a problem with one of their people, and will let them handle it from there. You probably don’t want to know exactly what they will do to him, but I assure you it will be suitably unpleasant.” Nozomi explained.

“But the hostess club is still there to begin with, isn’t that a bad thing?” Eli asked.

“The job was for the one girl, right?” Nozomi asked. “You sound almost disappointed I didn’t take their entire organization with me. That would be far more difficult and require much more in resources that we simply don’t have. Miyako should be fine, but you must understand that part of what you must do involves working with people you despise. You will need that skill very soon, so it is best to adjust to the idea now.”

“You make it sound so pointless.” Eli commented.

“It was your job, you completed it, I’ll let you deliver the good news. Besides, dressing like that is more for you than it is me, isn’t it, Elichi?” Nozomi asked, smiling with this.

“Yes. I’ll let her know.” Eli agreed.

\----

Eli put her suit on and went to the apartment Miyako lived at, knocking on the door, being let in, and approaching Miyako’s door again. “Miyako? I know it’s been a few days, but it’s over.” she said, just loud enough to get through the door.

“Really?” the girl asked from the other side.

“Really.” Eli confirmed. “You’re safe. If anything happens again let me know and I’ll take care of it, just tell your manager.”

The only response from the other side was the sound of the girl sobbing, finally having a release from the stress of the past several days. “Thank you.” Eli could hear through the wall.

“I’ll leave now.” Eli said to the mother. “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.”

\----

The next day Eli went to the café. The manager came out quickly. “Thank you, Miss Matsuoka!” she said, trying to keep her voice down, but it was clear she was excited. “Miyako said she needed a few more days to catch up on schoolwork, but she would come back soon!”

Eli smiled, “You’re welcome.”

“What did you do, exactly?” the manager asked quietly.

Eli offered a slight shrug, “The problem should be taken care of, if it comes up again let me know.”

“Thank you again.” the manager said, then she went to the back and came back with a small card, “Your free parfaits for life card.” she said with a smile. “You did what you promised, and I will keep my promise too.”

Eli smiled again as she pocketed the card.

\----

“Congratulations, Elichi!” Nozomi said with a smile as Eli returned to the apartment. “You completed your objective. How does it feel?”

“Disgusting, but I’m glad it’s done. It felt good to know something good was accomplished.” Eli answered.

“It gets easier.” Nozomi said reassuringly. “It’s a pity you were never trained, I think you did quite well.”

“Thanks.” Eli said, going to sit on the couch.

“There’s a couple things I need you to do now, but those can wait until tomorrow, okay Elichi?” Nozomi asked. “For now enjoy your success.”

Eli nodded at first, but didn’t say anything, within a couple minutes Nozomi realized that Eli had fallen asleep.

She took out her phone to text Sergei, <Your intel was great. Wish we could work together again.>

<Like I told you, the club might have questionable practices, but they really don’t want anyone doing anything to the girls.> was the reply Nozomi received.

<My plan worked great, then. Keep in touch if you’re reassigned to Vladivostok, could use a friend there.> Nozomi texted.

<I’ll be in touch.> was the reply she received.

Nozomi then went to get a blanket to cover Eli with for the night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you like me taking time to write longer stories like this, the second year still has plenty of space I can add a couple more in, even if they take me longer to write.


	29. Chapter 29

Eli woke up in Nozomi’s apartment. She opened her eyes to see the lights were on and Nozomi appeared to be splicing wires together. She slowly sat up from the couch she was on and looked in Nozomi’s direction.

“Elichi, you’re awake!” Nozomi greeted her cheerfully, “Good morning, did you sleep well?” she asked.

“How long did I sleep?” Eli asked.

“Most of the night, I woke up a couple hours ago, you must have been tired.” Nozomi suggested.

“The job wore me out.” Eli admitted.

Nozomi looked up from the electronics to smile at Eli, “I understand. You did great, but you’re glad it’s over.”

Eli simply nodded in agreement. “What are you working on, anyway?” she asked.

“A gift for you to take home!” Nozomi said with plenty of excitement. “I thought you did so well that you should be rewarded!”

“What does it do?” Eli asked, standing up now.

“It’s a listening device. All you have to do is take it home with you, put it in a main room, and leave it sit for a few hours, then dispose of it.” Nozomi explained.

“That sounds like more work.” Eli said, her tone hesitant.

“Well, it is something you need to do, but we can start with something simple. I don’t have time right away to teach you how to wire something like this into a power supply so we can use it for a while, so you can get started with this one. I’m sure the people you’re living with have very interesting things to say, and if you can plant this somewhere it will be very useful to me.” Nozomi continued with her explanation.

“The woman there as my mother has actual experience, and you want me to plant a listening device to listen to her?” Eli asked, the hesitant tone remaining, but she also sounded worried. “What if I get caught?”

“Don’t worry, Elichi!” Nozomi said, back to her light tone. She then took some lint, attaching it to the outside of the electrical device. “It looks disgusting, so no one will want to touch it, the worst that happens is she throws it out.”

“Are you even sure this is going to work?” Eli asked next.

“The listening device itself will work.” Nozomi replied. “All you need to do is place it somewhere, then in a day or so pick it up, take it somewhere, and throw it away. I’ll handle the rest.” Then she picked it up to hand to Eli, “It’s ready.”

Eli looked down at the item in Nozomi’s hand, making a face of mild disgust, then she picked it up, her face showing a cringe as she did so. “This is disgusting.” she complained.

“That disgust is what will keep you safe.” Nozomi answered.

\----

Eli walked into her home, looking around. _Thankfully it’s empty right now._ she thought with some relief. Then she saw a counter with clutter on it. She placed the lint covered listening device with the clutter, before going to her own room. _Does this room have anything in it?_ Eli asked herself. She started to walk around the room, looking for something to indicate a listening device or something similar. An hour later she had not found anything, but the question hadn’t left her mind.

\----

A couple days later, Eli returned to Nozomi’s apartment. Nozomi herself was busy on a laptop taking notes, which she went back to after letting Eli in. “Hello, Elichi!” Nozomi greeted.

“Did it work?” Eli asked as she came in, sitting next to Nozomi on the couch.

“Who is Hitomi?” Nozomi asked, still looking at a screen. As Eli looked, she saw audio manipulation software at work.

“The woman who is supposed to be my mother for my cover.” Eli answered.

“How are her cleaning habits?” Nozomi asked next.

Eli stopped, looking up towards the ceiling for a moment. “She’s a bit obsessed with vacuuming, I suppose, even when there really isn’t a need for it. Other than that, nothing too out of the ordinary I noticed.”

“That explains so much.” Nozomi said, playing a small segment of the audio, which did indicate vacuuming was happening.

“Why is that?” Eli asked.

“Vacuums are a common tactic used against listening devices.” Nozomi explained. “They create a lot of white noise so you can have conversations even if you suspect your place is not entirely secure.”

“So do you think she knows?” Eli asked next, her hands were shaking a bit as she became more nervous.

“Probably not.” Nozomi said with a smile. “Hitomi probably has 20 years of experience in the field at least, so it’s probably just a habit with her by now. Also, when you get a chance you can throw the device away if you haven’t yet.”

“Okay, thanks.” Eli said quietly.

“Also, does the name Christine mean anything to you?” Nozomi asked next. “I got a little bit mentioning the name, but it will take me more time to try and isolate a few more words.”

“Maybe she handled the weapons shipment I brought in.” Eli suggested. “I think that’s what I heard with that name.”

Nozomi nodded with this, “Give me some time, but we may need you to bring in another shipment soon to confirm who she is.” She sighed with this, “It’s unfortunate you did the first shipment on your own, that was valuable information lost.”

Eli bristled a bit at Nozomi’s comment. “I’m cooperating now.” she insisted.

“I know, Elichi, you did well with the listening device.” Nozomi said, adding a smile in. “You’re getting better at getting information.”

Eli replied with a smile, “Thanks.”

“You’re cute when I compliment you.” Nozomi added. “I might have to reward you soon!”

Eli laughed at this, _She’s actually kind of fun still, even if it’s often work now._ she thought to herself.

\----

Eli returned home, looking for where the clutter pile was and seeing a clean counter now. Her eyes widened and her hands started shaking again as she headed to her bedroom.


	30. Chapter 30

Eli’s hands were shaking as she opened the door to her room, closed it, and entered. She felt pain in her chest, which she clenched with a hand. _What is this?_ she asked herself frantically. The pain intensified as she went to lie down on her bed. _Poison?_ Eli asked herself as her hands began to sweat. _Did I touch something? I didn’t eat anything here._ Time slowed to a crawl as Eli’s mind raced. Eli did not know how much time had passed, but she did have an awareness after some time, _I can still move, I’m not dead._

Eli stood up, went to her closet to put her suit and sunglasses on, and left as soon as she could. She quietly got on the train, which was mostly empty at this hour. The sunglasses managed to obscure her facial expressions on the train, and after the train the darkness of the neighborhood obscured her face and still shaking hands after that as she went into the apartment she had at Keiko Matsuoka. _It feels better here._ she thought as she went to lie down on the couch in poor condition. _Nozomi’s couch felt better._ Eli thought as she went to sleep.

\----

Nozomi went to class the next day, noticing Eli didn’t show up at all. After school she attended to student council business, then spent time at the shrine before returning home to her apartment. Shortly after closing the door upon entry, she heard a knock. She opened the door, to see Eli in her suit, “Can I come in?” Eli asked quickly.

Nozomi stood aside to allow Eli in and closed the door after her. “Elichi, what happened?” Nozomi asked, her tone one of concern, “You were not at school today. Were you busy?”

“The thing, it was gone, the place I put it had been cleaned.” Eli said quickly, her hands started to shake again. “I don’t know what happened, I started shaking and I ran to my apartment. I didn’t know if I was dying or not. Then I waited until I could see you again.”

Nozomi watched as Eli’s hands shook and quickly embraced her. “You’re safe, Elichi.” Nozomi said. Her tone was soft but firm. “You’re safe here.” she reiterated. “You’re with somebody who cares for you, and I will keep Elichi safe.”

Eli’s hands still shook, but she returned the embrace. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. “Will I be okay? They don’t stop. My heart pounds, I’m not dying, am I?”

“You will be okay, Elichi.” Nozomi said quietly. “You are not dying. You are panicked. You don’t know what happened, you don’t know how much danger you are in, you are scared.”

“Yes, I’m so scared.” Eli admitting, her speech interrupted by her sobbing. “I’m scared. I don’t know what to do. I can’t help you if you get scared, and then bad things will happen if I fail.”

“It is normal to be scared.” Nozomi continued. “It is not a weakness, you did something dangerous, something went wrong, and so you are scared. That is okay.” She tightened her embrace of Eli.

“But you weren’t scared when you helped me! Why am I scared doing something for you?” Eli asked, it was difficult for Nozomi to understand completely, as Eli’s voice broke up several times while asking.

“Elichi, it is okay. It’s okay to be scared when things go wrong. It isn’t about being scared or not being scared, it’s about not giving in to fear. Weren’t you scared when you met the Yakuza?” Nozomi asked.

“That was different, I had a plan and everything worked, so it wasn’t too bad.” Eli replied. “But this, it went missing, I don’t know what happened, I don’t know if I need to hide.”

“Eli, take slow deep breaths, then breathe out slowly.” Nozomi said, letting go of Eli finally.

“What will that help?” Eli asked.

“Trust me, Elichi.” Nozomi said.

Eli did as she was told. The deep breaths were interrupted several times by her sobs at first, but she kept doing as she was instructed. After a minute the sobs slowed, then stopped.

“Keep doing it, Elichi.” Nozomi added. Eli continued to breath as she was told. “There is nothing wrong with being scared, but you need to learn to calm yourself as well. Right now, we need to figure out what happened. So do you have any ideas on how to find that out?”

“I don’t know.” Eli said quietly. “The counter was just cleared off. That’s all I saw.”

“Did you check to see if it was thrown away?” Nozomi asked.

“No, I didn’t check.” Eli replied, her voice still quiet.

Nozomi went to take out her laptop, sitting down on the couch and starting to load the audio software she used a couple days ago. “You were scared, your first instinct was to flee. That is understandable.” She continued to reassure Eli.

“But I should have checked, right?” Eli asked.

Nozomi smiled. “It’s okay. You are safe. If we need to investigate later we can, but if you were in danger then I could not replace you. We have another way to check.” Eli nodded, taking a seat next to Nozomi. Nozomi loaded an audio file. “It went silent about 24 hours ago.” she explained. “Mostly. So let’s see what the last thing heard was… and here.” Nozomi then clicked the play button.

The audio started playing. It was mostly a clanging sound of items banging into each other. Then a male voice, muffled, could be heard, “She should clean up this mess more often.” There were a few more sounds of items making contact with each other, then a silence where all sound was muffled.

Eli then said, “Oh, that’s Hitomi’s husband. I’ve never seen him indicate he has any experience. Usually Hitomi tells him what to do and he’s rewarded with promotions in a front company. He probably just stacked everything somewhere. I think he complains about me being around when I’m not there, but mostly he’s useless.”

Nozomi nodded, “You think you can find the stack or where it might be?” she asked.

Eli smiled, “I think I can do that, now that I know it wasn’t Hitomi.”

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Nozomi asked, “You look like you could use some proper rest. There will be time tomorrow to find it, but it should be safe until then.”

Eli nodded again. “Thank you, Nozomi.” she said quietly. “I’m sorry I’m so much trouble.”

Nozomi shook her head, “You’ll improve. Besides, you swore to protect me. I can’t irresponsibly allow my protector to be hurt, can I?” she asked, smiling afterwards.

“I suppose not.” Eli agreed, offering a small laugh at this.


	31. Chapter 31

It was early morning when Eli woke up. She looked at the ceiling, quickly realizing she had fallen asleep on Nozomi’s couch again. Nozomi herself was in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Elichi!” Nozomi said cheerfully as she saw Eli open her eyes. “It’s early, you have time to go home and put your uniform on for school. Also, if hiding from Hitomi is going to be a regular occurrence now, you should consider storing a uniform at your apartment. You might also want a cover story for why you’re not home as often.”

Eli sat up and looked unfocused at Nozomi, “What?” she asked. “Sure, I can work on that. Just… what excuse do I use?”

“You could say you need to spend more time with me. It’s true enough, verifiable, and no one will object. You are supposed to be recruiting me still, just tell everyone I’m much more difficult than expected. An arms shipment was already considered justified, so that should be believable.” Nozomi offered.

“Thanks.” Eli answered.

\----

It was still dark when Eli went outside. She hadn’t thought to check the time. She was tired, certainly, but she did return home. Once there she began to look through piles of clutter, trying to find the listening device. She only took a few minutes, but did not find it. She did look at her phone, and upon looking at the clock realized she did not have enough time to keep looking right away. _It is hidden and dead now, that is probably good enough._ Eli thought as she tried to reassure herself.

Eli then went into her room to change into her school uniform. On finishing that and leaving her room she saw Hitomi was awake.

“Out late again last night?” Hitomi asked.

Eli’s mind began to race, but she managed to offer a smile, “I fell asleep at Nozomi’s again. She trusts me enough that she doesn’t wake me when that happens.”

“How is that going, by the way? You have had over a year.” Hitomi asked next.

_I hate these sessions of probing questions. It’s like she knows something is wrong._ Eli thought, but she continued, “Nozomi is different, she can’t be bought with money like so many others.” she offered as an explanation.

“Everyone has a price, Eli.” Hitomi replied. “You should know that better than anyone.” Eli internally winced a bit as she heard that, she always disliked conversations with Hitomi that continued for more than a few seconds. “Money is easiest, true, but others you must buy with something different. Many want money, others want power, and some want camaraderie. It’s been over a year, you should have some idea of what she wants by now.”

“She’s an enigma. Whenever I think I have her pegged, she proves immune.” Eli admits. “What would you do since you seem to know so much about her?” Eli’s tone had evidence of sarcasm.

“Did you try acting like you loved her?” Hitomi asked. “I mean, you are attracted to her, right? It should not be too hard.”

“I confessed to her last year. She accepted but mostly she just wants to spend time with me, I’m always having to advance things and sometimes she still rejects me.” Eli admitted.

“You do not know her as well as you think you do. Find the thing she wants most and find a way to offer it to her. Only then will you be able to buy such a person.” Hitomi said with an air of finality to it. “Enjoy your day at school. I am sure this task is something you are more than capable of. You know you can always ask me for advice. I am partially here to support you, after all.”

“Thanks.” Eli said as she left. _Who knows what she’s thinking? What does she even do during the day anyway?_ Eli asked herself, realizing that she didn’t have a good grasp on either question.

\----

Eli arrived in the student council room to see Nozomi already dealing with the morning’s work. “You made it today, Elichi!” Nozomi greeted cheerfully. Eli then took a pile of paperwork and sat down herself.

“I couldn’t find it, Hitomi was home.” Eli began, her voice quiet. “She didn’t sound like she knew about that, but she did ask how things were going with you again. She noticed I had not been around for the past couple of days.”

“What did you tell her?” Nozomi asked.

“I told her you couldn’t be bought with money or seduced.” Eli admitted, “And she said everyone can be bought, it is just about knowing what they want.”

“It isn’t entirely untrue. You were bought with money, until you realized there was something more important than money.” Nozomi said with a smile. “Then money could no longer buy you. Money worked well for you in the past because you could choose who you went after, and so you used those who could be bought with money.”

“What could buy you?” Eli asked.

“Hm.” Nozomi considered the question, “I want to know my efforts made the world a better place. I might not always be able to make a big difference, I may have to work with people who are unpleasant, but I want to know my efforts will improve the world. You could not offer that to me, therefore it was impossible for you to buy me.”

Eli took a deep breath, “What’s the difference between my superiors and yours?” she asked.

“What did your superiors want? They only care for their own wealth and power.” Nozomi answers. “That’s how they recruit, that’s what they offer you. That’s what you wanted, and you had talent, and so they offered it to you.” She then paused, “I was offered the strength and opportunity to protect those I cared about. That is the difference.”

“You didn’t really answer.” Eli protested.

“One day you will understand what I mean.” Nozomi said. With that the two women silent worked on the student council paperwork of the day.


	32. Chapter 32

_“Who does Nozomi work for?”_ was the question that kept going through Eli’s head for the rest of the day. She tried to consider the options, _Public security? Do they take people like her? But she has foreign influences. Interpol is police, they wouldn’t send somebody to Otonokizaka for years would they? Another intelligence agency? Possible but what are they doing in Japan on an operation like this? Was she sincere when she talked about protecting something?_ At the end of the day Eli was no closer to an answer she liked than she was earlier.

After classes ended Eli went with Nozomi to the student council room. “Have you ever travelled?” Eli asked.

“A few times. The world is a large place, I am too young to have seen much of it, Elichi.” Nozomi answered with a smile.

“Where did you go?” Eli asked.

“I’ve been to Russia before. Saint Petersburg is a wonderful place. The Winter Palace is a beautiful sight.” Nozomi began. “But I suspect you are not a fan of architecture.” Then Nozomi added, “Have you ever been there?”

“No, I mostly lived in the east.” Eli answered. “So I never saw it. Of course, I knew what it was, but travelling across the entire country can be a long journey. Work?”

“Oh, I was just a tourist. To think you live in such a large country and have not even seen much of it. I told you the world is a large place, there’s so many places to travel to.” Nozomi said. “Japan is a small country and there is so much of it I have not seen, and travelling is probably easier than travel in Russia.”

_She never answers anything important._ Eli thought as she heard Nozomi’s reply. “I’ll see you later tonight after you’re done at the shrine.” she finally said.

\----

Eli returned to Nozomi’s apartment a little bit after she got home from the shrine. After coming in Eli asked, “Nozomi, I need to know I’m doing the right thing.”

“What do you mean?” Nozomi asked.

“I mean, what you’re doing. I know the people I’m helping you against are not good, but how do I know you are better, or at least not worse than them?” Eli asked.

“Elichi, what have I done that would suggest anything like that?” Nozomi asked. “You want to protect yourself, and I have assisted you with that, have I not? Did I not assist you when you needed to move your money? When you needed a safe place to stay? I tell my superiors you could be valuable so they will consider accepting you.” her tone was soft. “You should know that we live in a world where bad things must be done for good reasons, is that not enough?”

“It’s not fair.” Eli said after a few seconds. “I know almost nothing about you, but I’m supposed to trust you with my safety and my life.”

“What is there to say?” Nozomi asked. “I have a duty to protect the things I care about. The world is a dangerous place, and it needs people that are willing to protect that which is good in it. Does it really need to be more complicated than that?”

“I’m sure if I asked my superiors they would tell me they were making the world a better place as well.” Eli countered.

Nozomi sighed with this. “You can be really insistent, you know that?” she asked. “But I can’t provide you the assurances you want, not in any meaningful way. All I ask is that you judge us by our actions and that we are restrained compared to your superiors. If that is too much, then ask yourself if you would rather trust me or Hitomi?”

It was Eli’s turn to sigh, “You never answer anything, but Hitomi is much worse.”

\----

Eli went to her apartment for the night. She had managed to move a spare uniform and the couch was at least usable. _Nozomi doesn’t answer anything too serious about herself, but she is far more pleasant to deal with. Maybe I shouldn’t have confronted her when I realized she took my phone at the beginning. At least then I could have enjoyed a simple relationship for a while longer, even if it was chaste._

\----

_How do I explain to her what we do?_ Nozomi asked herself after Eli left for the evening. _On the surface, we aren’t so different from them. We both run operations, we both recruit, we both rely on not being known as our best defense._ Nozomi sighed as she got ready for bed. _I’ll have to tell her eventually. No, I’ll have to explain things to her soon. If she is only against something she won’t be reliable._

As Nozomi was on her back in bed her thoughts continued. _Happy children don’t grow up to be operatives, do they? I suppose I’m not so different after all._ She thought as she reflected on her own experiences.

\----

The next morning in the student council room Nozomi looked over at Eli, “Order some American equipment this time. Tell them the Russian overstock that was brought in was defective. I want to see what happens. I’m prioritizing Christine for now, Hitomi is too dangerous and too close.”

“I’ll do it, but I want answers.” Eli said, the agreement mixed with a protest.

“I have a feeling Christine will be able to answer some of them.” Nozomi says. “I’ll fill in some of the blanks after that.”

“Real answers.” Eli insisted.

“Okay, Elichi. Real answers.” Nozomi agreed as the two went back to their morning student council duties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know updates are taking longer, and I feel bad about that. It will probably be like this until October at least. My real life is making significant demands on my time which significantly impedes my ability to keep up, as at best I only have one day per week to write. So I thank everyone who is understanding. I just wanted to assure people that this work is not abandoned and I have no intention of abandoning it, it's just I have other things that must be attended to for a while longer.
> 
> I hope everyone continues to enjoy the story, and I thank everyone who reads my work and enjoys it.


	33. Chapter 33

Several days later Eli and Nozomi met at a cliff overlooking an empty section of the beach. “This is where you told everyone the shipment would be, right?” Nozomi asked Eli,

“Yeah. They should be here in a couple hours from now.” Eli replied.

“Somebody will show up early to survey the area.” Nozomi observed, taking out a pair of binoculars to look over the beach. “We should be far enough back, even with these, they are not easy to pick out.”

“Is the waiting really that necessary? I get the sense this will be boring.” Eli said flatly.

“Surveillance is very boring.” Nozomi agreed. “That’s part of what makes it hard. We’re going to be here for the entire day to observe something that will take less than 20 minutes once it begins, and we absolutely need to see that 20 minutes.” Nozomi then handed the binoculars to Eli. “Keep an eye on things for a bit.” she said. She then took out a camera with a large lens. “Can’t afford to use all the battery on this thing before the fun part happens.”

\----

After hours of waiting, Eli spoke up, “I see people down there.” she said to Nozomi.

“Great.” Nozomi answered with a smile as she turned the camera on to film.

On the beach a group of about 7 people with a truck and a trailer attached to the back were waiting. For several minutes, nothing happened. Then in the water the surface broke, revealing a black object approaching the beach.

“They’re using a mini-sub. A bit small time, but evidently you didn’t need to order that much?” Nozomi asked.

“I could only justify enough for an extraction team for one person, not a small army.” Eli explained.

As the sub stopped short of land, the top opened and a blonde woman wearing a black wetsuit got out. “Difficult to make out too many features, but that appears to be our woman.” Nozomi said, continuing to film.

“I see her.” Eli confirmed. “So what now?” she asked.

“We watch.” Nozomi said. “She’ll deliver the goods, like she is now.” as she continued to watch the beach. “Then get back in her sub and return to wherever she came from.”

“I thought we were going to capture her, I thought that was the plan.” Eli replied.

“I know you think I am good at what I do, but no, I do not carry a sniper rifle with me to these things and no I am not able to capture eight people by myself, especially while having to make sure nothing happens to you.” Nozomi said, sighing afterwards.

“So we’re just taking pictures, how does that help us?” Eli asked next.

“We know what she looks like now, we know what kind of vehicle she uses, we know how she’s delivering the goods, and if we do things properly, we might have an idea of where she operates out of.” Nozomi explained slowly, as though she were explaining obvious things to a child. “If you are going to survive doing this, you need to learn that violence is often a poor choice.”

“Next you’re going to tell me it’s not like the movies.” Eli said drily.

“It’s a little like the movies, sometimes.” Nozomi said. Then she smiled, “Fictional spies have more fun than we do, even though we do sometimes get to do things that are enjoyable. Besides, if you become better at this we can have a classic spy romance, right Elichi?”

“You know exactly what to say.” Eli said, laughing as she continued to watch as the weapons were offloaded from the mini-sub to the truck.

“There’s still a relationship.” Nozomi continued. “I know you’re worried about that. You’re worried about many things. It does complicate things now that you know more, but it does mean we can actually get to know each other. The higher ups won’t approve, but as long as the work is done they will not complain too much about anything we do.” Then Nozomi smiled, her tone turning light, “Besides, Elichi wanted more than just handholding.”

“I’m not sure how I feel when you change your tone so suddenly like that.” Eli admitted. “But you’re right. Can we go out after this?” she asked hopefully.

“Where would you like to go?” Nozomi asked.

“A walk in the park would be nice. Just time where we can do something together that isn’t work.” Eli replied.

“I’ll try to be better about that. I know it’s been hard for you recently.” Nozomi acknowledged. “It’s not an easy life, but you already knew that.”

Eventually, the weapons had been offloaded and the truck drove off, with the blonde woman reentering the mini-sub. After the truck left Nozomi start taking pictures of the ocean.

“Trying to find something?” Eli asked.

“Hoping to get lucky.” Nozomi admitted. “But if she is using a larger ship, it would be out of range of the camera. Likely international waters. Still, that was good.” Nozomi said. “We know what she likely looks like now, and with time we can determine her landing spots.”

“And how will we do that?” Eli asked.

“With a great deal of map research.” Nozomi said. “It really is much more boring than the movies.” With that she started packing the camera.

“Did you get into this for the excitement and were disappointed?” Eli asked.

Nozomi smiled, “The training gets rid of anyone in it for just a thrill.” she answered. “But my you are a bit curious now, aren’t you? How about we return to Tokyo. We can go on that walk after our student council business tomorrow.”

“I’ll look forward to it. I know we can’t just pick up where we left off, but I feel like we don’t have to start completely over, do we?” Eli asked.

“No, Elichi, but you could never have been truly happy with a fifteen year old girl. You’re much too old to understand how they think at all, right? I think a slightly older woman will suit you nicely.” Nozomi replied.


	34. Chapter 34

The next day after student council business was attended to, Nozomi and Eli went to a park. They were still wearing their Otonokizaka uniforms. “Are you sure this is okay?” Eli asked.

“It wasn’t a problem last year, why would it be a problem now?” Nozomi asked.

“Well, I mean, we’re older and, it’s awkward.” Eli said, with frequent pauses.

Nozomi laughed slightly, “Last year we were two women in their twenties pretending to be fifteen year old girls. Now we’re two women in our twenties pretending to be sixteen year old girls. The only difference is now we both know about that act. Nobody will question what appears to be two girls on a walk after school.”

“You always make it sound so simple when we do things like this.” Eli replied, smiling now.

“The secret to infiltration is to make it look like you belong where you are. If we’re in a park just having a walk, that’s perfectly normal and people have better things to do than to question that.” Nozomi explained, taking her right hand to hold Eli’s left hand. “This shouldn’t be too much trouble either. Perfectly ordinary.”

“It always comes back to work now, doesn’t it?” Eli asked.

Nozomi reached into the jacket of her uniform, pulling out her cards. “Actually I thought it had been a while since we had used these, I thought you might be interested.”

Eli smiled again, “Do you always have those with you?” she asked.

“Naturally, what would I do without them?” Nozomi asked. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Then Nozomi started walking towards a table left in the park. “Sit.” she said, which Eli did. Nozomi sat opposite her. Then Nozomi shuffled the deck. “It is only natural that I clear the deck before its use, and of course you may cut.” she said as she placed the cards on the table.

Eli took her hands and cut the cards.

“Now begin the drawing.” Nozomi added. “And think of what you are asking.”

“I want to know about us, where we are heading.” Eli answered as she drew the first card and placed it on the table.

“6 of Cups reversed.” Nozomi announced as it was placed on the table. “This card is normally about how it is important to stop looking backwards at the past and start focusing on the present and future. In our case, it would indicate that we are to address issues arising from the past aspects in our relationships. A rather poignant card in that sense.” Nozomi paused, “Even if our issues are rather atypical of the kinds of things this card is normally used to convey.”

“It has been difficult not knowing where we are at.” Eli admitted. “All of my past relationships were as a student, so the idea of having a relationship outside of that is different.”

Nozomi smiled, “It isn’t as bad as you might think. You’re tired of the student relationships, but you’re scared of the idea of having an adult one since you have spent the past six years as a student. I’m far less petty than others you may have dealt with. I also know who you are, so when we’re alone you don’t have to pretend to be a student.”

“You make these things sound so easy.” Eli commented. “But you are right, it’s not like I’ve ever had a proper adult relationship. Have you?” she asked.

“A couple.” Nozomi replied. “Nothing too serious. Nothing really romantic. I never had much time. You have been with students for years, while I was with adults, so romantic relationships are new, but relationships that are mature are not.” Then she motioned at the deck. “Draw the next card.”

Eli took the next card, placing it down, “2 of Wands in reverse position, right?” she asked, looking down at it.

“You are right, that is exactly what it is.” Nozomi said, looking at the newly placed card. “This card, in reverse position, is about a relationship deepening.” she explained. “So while the first card is about letting go of the past and focusing on the future of a relationship, this card is about the relationship deepening in the future. You still have to put effort into the relationship, of course, but it is a good sign if you want more out of a relationship.”

“Does it say exactly what I have to do?” Eli asked.

“The cards do not really work that way. They can provide general information and advice, but they rarely tell you specifically what to do. A source of advice, not a prescription for success, you could say.” Nozomi explained. “I do think spending time together outside of school and our work is important for us, and I know we have both been neglecting that recently. We really do not have enough time in the day, do we?” she asked rhetorically.

“There are never enough hours in the day, it feels like. School, student council, other things we must do. It always comes back to one of those things, so it’s hard to get to know each other, I think.” Eli replied.

“We can try to make more time in the future. Even if it’s only once a week.” Nozomi offered. “Draw the final card.” she then told Eli. Eli drew the final card, placing it down on the table.

“Temperance.” Nozomi announced as she looked at it. Then she smiled, “How fitting.” she commented before continuing. “This card is about balance in life, work, and relationships. It is also about forgiving yourself for past wrongs so you can move on. It fits in quite well with the other two.” She explained.

“That makes a lot of sense.” Eli said as she looked down at the third card. “The first card is about the dangers of clinging to the past, the second card indicates a need to spend more time together, and the third card is about balancing everything.”

“Not a bad interpretation.” Nozomi confirmed.

“Do you always have the cards with you?” Eli asked a second time.

“Whenever I can, I had to leave them a few times but I dislike being separated from them. It’s a sentimental thing, you could say.” Nozomi explained.

“Even you can be sentimental.” Eli said, laughing a little, “It’s nice to know you too do things outside of your work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I used a Tarot reading in the story. For some added flavor, unlike most of the other drawings that feature in this story, I actually chose these cards at random this time. I was rather happy with the results.


	35. Chapter 35

Sasaki was at his desk going through his messages. _Seriously?_ he asked himself in a skeptical tone as he read through the latest reports on the Otonokizaka operation. Once again he picked up the phone.

“Go ahead Sasaki.” was the greeting the voice on the other end offered, as usual.

“No progress has been made with Otonokizaka, there’s no reports indicating its even being taken seriously as an objective right now, Eli Ayase is not worth this much trouble, and yet you’re not permitting me to stop her from endangering the operation any further?” Sasaki asked. His tone was a barely contained irritation.

“There is still plenty of time.” the voice from the other end responded. “Eli Ayase may be more valuable than you think. If she is able to provide substantial assistance in neutralizing two highly experienced enemy operatives with significant resources at their disposal, it may well be more valuable than Otonokizaka.” The voice was calm, like nothing was wrong and everything was proceeding according to plan.

“She’s just a girl who abducted people for money.” Sasaki continued. “And not only are you not ending this absurdity, you’re willing to permit a relationship between those two? You place far too much value on her.”

“The reports indicate that Eli Ayase is motivated by money and affection. It is only natural that after a sufficient period of time actual affection would need to occur.” the older man’s voice explained. “Besides, if we turn her she has the potential to make a valuable operative. I am not so quick as to discard such easy gifts from the Russians. I have plans for her.”

“Fine, I’ll continue to support the operation as instructed.” Sasaki concluded, no happier than he was when he started the conversation. After that, the line went dead.

\--

Eli arrived at Nozomi’s apartment in the late evening. After being let in she looked at the table, seeing a map of Japan with parts of the coastline marked in red from a marker.

“You’re a bit late tonight.” Nozomi said to Eli after closing the door.

“I wanted a parfait.” Eli replied quietly.

“Did you seriously dress up so you could get a free parfait?” Nozomi asked, though she was smiling as she asked the question.

“Well, I also had to check on a few other things. The parfait was just a nice bonus.” Eli said, her tone one of mock defensiveness.

“How is that going by the way?” Nozomi asked, going to sit down at the table again with red marker in hand.

“Things are more stable now, your help was appreciated. What is this?” Eli asked, walking towards the map and looking down at it.

“Sit down, you can help.” Nozomi said. “It’s spy work, if that helps.” she offered.

“Seriously? What does this have to do with anything? We’re looking at a map that you’re evidently marking in red.” Eli complained, but she did sit down.

“Pattern recognition is an important skill. I get that this isn’t very exciting, but if we have to go out again this will make our lives much easier.” Nozomi began to explain. Then she smiled brightly, “Think of it this way, if we do well on this it means I’ll have more time to spend with Elichi!” her tone shifting to the one she used at school.

“Fine.” Eli said, looking down at the map. “So what exactly are we doing?”

“Simple.” Nozomi said, back to the more natural, older sounding tone she used when alone with Eli anymore. “We know Christine is using a mini-sub to make her deliveries. The pictures of the sub at the surface gave me information on which model she’s likely using. That means we know how big the mini-sub is, as well as what kind of places it can land at, which are limited, even in Japan.”

“Okay, so what’s with the red marker?” Eli asked next.

“The red marker is where it should be too shallow for the mini-sub to make landfall.” Nozomi explains, then she handed a tablet to Eli. “That has an estimate of the depths on the coasts.” She continued. “So keep looking for shallow areas to mark off.” Then Nozomi took out a brown marker and began marking other sections of the coastline.

Eli took the tablet, “Do I want to know how expensive all of this was?” she asked.

“Probably not.” Nozomi said as she made small marks with the brown marker.

“Wait, what’s brown?” Eli asked.

“Brown is where the ocean is met by cliffs, making a delivery impractical, even if the depth is otherwise fine.” Nozomi answered.

“You really need something in your life not related to work, it’s tiring keeping up with you.” Eli complained.

Nozomi kept making the brown marks on the map. “We can go to the beach soon, if you would like.” she suggested. “Last year was fun, right?”

“Can we at least use covers as university students? It’s so exhausting being in high school.” Eli asked.

“Sure.” Nozomi agreed, her tone distracted, having taken out a black marker now. “I’m not sure where we would be going yet, I’ll let you know when I figured out where we’re going this summer.”

Eli sighed, “You’re planning on doing work during summer, aren’t you? That’s why you’re marking everything off, you’re trying to figure out where to go. You really are addicted to your work.”

“It’s a difficult life. There will be moments where it will be plenty of fun, moments where it will be incredibly dangerous, and moments when we will be able to be together.” Nozomi said after several seconds of consideration. “You have the talent, having done quite well despite not being particularly well trained. You are certainly intelligent enough. I should warn you that it really is all consuming. You can certainly have everything you say you want: Wealth, power, love. It’s not impossible, I should say. My doubt isn’t your ability, Eli, it’s your resolve. Tell me, how badly do you want those things?”

“I still, I still want those things.” Eli admitted, her voice shaking a bit at Nozomi’s question.

“If that’s really what you want,” Nozomi began, this time with no hesitation, “then you need to learn to commit yourself to this. You need to learn how to do these things for yourself. Yes, even the boring work like looking up how deep every foot of coastline is. I can’t risk myself dealing with Hitomi directly, and even if I could my superiors wouldn’t allow it. You can’t be scared of her forever, and the only way you’re going to get over that fear is if you actually sit here and learn. I don’t have time to teach you every little thing. I’m willing to make this work for you, but you need to ask yourself what you are willing to do.”

“I’m willing to do all of those things!” Eli insisted.

“Are you?” Nozomi asked sharply. “Tonight you complained about it. You complain about me being too busy. I will make time for you, but right now? Go. Think about it. Ask yourself if you’re actually willing to do what it takes? You can’t go back to your old work. You need to decide if you are going to work with me, and all that entails, or if you want to try and disappear and hide on your own. Do you really have the skills you need to do anything to achieve your goals? If so, disappear and use them. Think about it. Answer me at the end of the week with what you want to do.”

Eli started feeling tears well up in her eyes as she put the tablet down, turned around, and left without another word.

_Perhaps that was too much._ Nozomi thought after Eli left, but she continued to work on the map instead of going after Eli. _She’s at a crossroads, and she must decide. It needs to be her decision._ After she went back to work on the map for a while, she reflected, _I completely disregarded the cards, didn’t I?_ she asked herself. _I should have listened._


	36. Chapter 36

The next morning Nozomi entered the student council room to see Eli already at work. She walked towards her seat, “Good morning Elichi, I’m-“ she began, but was suddenly cut off by Eli.

“You’re sorry, right?” Eli asked. “You’ll apologize, tell me how bad you feel, then you’ll offer to do something particularly nice for me to make up for it. Then it will be back to the usual routine of, at best, you being obsessed with your work and treating me like I don’t have a clue what is going on. I’m not that hopeless, so I’m aware of what it is you’re trying to do here.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Nozomi said, she paused and was going to continue, but Eli spoke again.

“Of course it was. I would know, it’s exactly what I would do in your position. Someone started to stray a bit, I would make a point of being nice and making things a little better to smooth things over.” Eli continued. Her voice was faster paced than usual, the volume increasing as well, never to the point of yelling, but Eli made no effort to hide the irritation in her voice, “Your entire life is about your work, and all of the things you do are about work. I get it, you think it’s important, but you also neglect that I’m tired of you treating me like another one of your assets. I’m not sure what I’ll do yet, and I’ll still answer you by the end of the week, but for now, I’ll handle things in here on my own, you just, I don’t know what you will do with the extra time, but I’m sure you will figure that out too.”

“I’ll give you your time.” Nozomi replied, walking out of the student council room after that.

_I’ve really done it this time, haven’t I?_ Nozomi asked herself after she left.

\----

Eli continued to work on the student council paperwork, or at least look like she was working. _Who does she think she is?_ she asked herself. _What am I going to do, anyway?_ was the next question. _Will she really let me disappear? Probably? What would I even do?_

The questions persisted with Eli throughout the day. _I would obviously have to find somebody to work for. Nozomi is right that I do not have the skills to be completely alone. I do have some money, but it is not enough to sustain me indefinitely. If I abandon Nozomi that would be a failure of the mission I’m supposed to be accomplishing._ _What exactly is it I want anyway?_ The more she thought about the situation, the more muddled her thoughts became.

\----

The end of the week soon arrived. Eli woke up that morning, put on her Otonokizaka uniform. Instead of going directly to the school, she went to the nearby shrine where she saw Nozomi. “I knew you would be here if not in the student council room.” Eli said as a greeting.

“Of course, Elichi, I have many things to do, this shrine is just one of them.” Nozomi replied, her tone acting like nothing was wrong.

“I’ve decided. I’ll answer you in the student council room after school.” Eli said. With that she turned around and left.

\----

After school Nozomi walked into the student council room, this time closing the door behind her. Eli was at her usual place. “What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I’ve decided.” Eli began. “I spent time thinking about it, what I would do if I just stopped right now. At times you are pretty terrible. You obsess over your work, you treat other people like pawns, and can be highly manipulative.” Eli paused for a moment. Her tone this time was much more even, not the irritation of the beginning of the week. “But I also realize my other options are even worse. You’re right, I don’t know what I would do if I disappeared and went off on my own. I have some skills, but too few to work on my own, I would have to find someone that would want to use them. I would have no ability to use them legitimately, so whoever that would be would certainly want to do unpleasant things with my skills. Which isn’t much different from what I have been tasked with previously. If I tried to abandon you and try to stay at Otonokizaka, you would be obligated to stop me, and I would have no chance in that situation.”

“You point out how your options seem terrible, Elichi, but what have you decided?” Nozomi asked.

“I’ll stay with you, and I’m not going to pretend I have much in the way of leverage, but I know enough to know you need me to at least some limited extent. I want answers. I want to know at least the general idea of who I’m working for now. I didn’t give up one organization just to go to another that might not be any better. I want to at least know who you are. I’m tired of you being some kind of mystery that has all of the answers but never provides them. I get that it will be some time before you fully trust me, but I want at least a hint, something to hold on to that lets me know that I am doing the right thing.”

“I can provide you with some answers. Naturally I won’t be able to tell you all of the details, but your superiors likely already know who we are, so even if you did pass the information along it would be relatively low risk to us overall.” Nozomi agreed. “Now, the other part of what I asked you to think about? Are you willing to learn? Are you willing to invest the effort?”

“I also want time for us, too. You’re obsessed, but I want to know I’m more than just something that you manipulate. If you’re willing to give me that, I’ll learn.” Eli replied.

“If you learn, we will have more time for ourselves since it will mean less work for me.” Nozomi added.

“Fine. I want one day a week for us though. Even you should be able to do that much.” Eli pressed.

“I can not guarantee every week, Elichi-“ Nozomi began, but Eli interrupted.

“Fine, if not one day every week, then four days a month. Minimum. Even you can manage that if you plan properly. You can make time for school, being the vice president, working at a shrine and your operations. You can make time for me too, then.” Eli insisted.

“I can do that much.” Nozomi agreed. “So you will stay and learn?” she asked.

“Yes, but I want answers to my questions right now.” Eli said. “We have time, we can stay a bit late if we have to, but I am not doing anything for you until I have those answers. No promises of later, no promises of after I do something, I want them now.”

Nozomi took at seat. “Then I will tell you, since you have time.” she agreed.


	37. Chapter 37

The sixteen year old Nozomi sat at a desk near the back of the room. All she could think about was how bored she was at the cram school. She had received a copy of the results of one of the university practice exams earlier, though she was mostly uninterested in it. It wasn’t that her scores were poor, quite the opposite, they were very good. Still, she was restless and bored.

The English class continued. The instructor never bothered to call on her, and in exchange, Nozomi never made any trouble for the rest of the class. Until today, when after class was over the instructor walked over to her. She was Caucasian, a foreigner that travelled to Japan to teach the English classes. A young woman in her mid-twenties with black wire framed glasses. “Could you stay after class today?” the instructor asked, in English. Nozomi replied with a nod.

After everyone else had left, the instructor took a seat at a desk next to Nozomi and asked, “What are you planning to do?”

“Attend university, of course, I am in cram school Mi-“ Nozomi began, but the instructor stopped her with a hand raised in a stop gesture.

“We are alone, you can call me Angie.” the instructor said with a smile, putting her hand down.

“I want to attend university, Angie. It is why I am here.” Nozomi replied. Speaking English slowed down her ability to respond, but she knew enough to not have too much trouble with the conversation.

“Where do you want to go?” Angie asked.

“Tokyo University. That is where everyone wants to go?” Nozomi said, her voice inflecting at the end to sound like a question.

“Your scores are good enough.” Angie confirmed. “I asked what you wanted, not what you are expected to want.” she pointed out.

“What is the difference?” Nozomi asked. She was confused at the distinction Angie had made.

Angie smiled, “What you are expected to want is to go to Tokyo University. It is the top university in Japan, so it is natural that you aim for that. What you want is, you could say, what problems would you like to solve?”

Nozomi didn’t say anything for several seconds, “The world is a bad place.” she finally said.

“Why would you say that?” Angie asked. Nozomi understood she was trying to keep her questions simple to understand, due to their difference in skill when it came to speaking English.

“I am alone.” Nozomi answered quietly.

“Alone? Or lonely?” Angie asked. “Do you know the difference?”

“I think I am lonely.” Nozomi admitted quietly. “I am not alone. I have family. I have school. I have here. So, lonely.”

“Do you care for others?” Angie asked. Nozomi responded with a nod. With this, Angie walked to the front of the class where she had a small bag and pulled out a small box and a book. With these in hand she returned to where she was sitting and offered them to Nozomi.

The young girl looked at the two items. “What are these?”

“They are a guide.” Angie said with a smile. She put the book down on the desk she was sitting at, opening the box, revealing a deck of cards. “Tarot.” Angie added. “You can ask them questions and they will answer you!” she was excited at this.

Nozomi took some of the cards, looking through them. Mostly she looked at the pictures. “How do these cards work?” she asked, curious.

Angie put the remaining cards down, “That is what the book is for. It explains what the cards mean.” she explained. She then traded Nozomi the book for the cards she was holding.

“It is in English.” Nozomi observed.

“Some of it is difficult, but I think you are smart enough. When you understand enough, ask them what you should do and you will understand.” Angie explained. “Do not worry, once you understand the book you can ask in Japanese and receive answers in Japanese.”

“Will it really work?” Nozomi asked, thumbing through the book.

“Will it hurt to try?” Angie asked. “When you are as good as using them as I am, you will understand how they work.” Then she stood up, “Enjoy them, and we will speak again soon.” With that Angie left, and Nozomi packed up the cards and books and left as well.

\----

“That explains why you have Tarot cards in English.” Eli objected, interrupting the story.

“Yes, Elichi, I promise it’s important, okay?” Nozomi replied. “You are asking for a lot, so it is a long story. Please allow me to tell it.”

Eli nodded as Nozomi continued with the story.

\----

Nozomi went home that night with the cards and the book. She was tired when she got home, but she took out a dictionary to help her translate. _These are strange words._ she thought to herself as she went through some sections. _Cards that answer questions for you sounds like something from fiction. Do foreigners really use these? There is no magic in the world, nothing like telling the future. How can cards do that for me?_ Even with her doubts, she spent the next two weeks translating the book. At first it was difficult, but she noticed as time went on it became easier. Some words, she realized, were simply best left untranslated.

Eventually she had her notes, the book itself, the dictionary, and the cards. _So I draw three and place them in front of me after asking a question._ Nozomi thought. She shuffled the cards. _What do I ask? Angie asked what kind of problem do I want to solve. Maybe that is a good question._ “What kind of problem should I solve?” she asked aloud, before beginning to draw the first card.

Nozomi drew the first card, “This is The Magician.” she said when she placed it down. “And like this it means it’s reversed.” She then began to flip through the book and her notes, opening a page on this card. “It means making better use of one’s power, but hesitant to do so.” She said. “So what does that mean? Doesn’t ‘power’ mean authority?” she asked herself aloud, using the English word for power. _But I don’t have any power._ Nozomi thought. “Electricity?” she asked next. “It also means electricity, but electricity doesn’t make sense.” she continued. She went back to the book. _Does “power” have some meaning I don’t know?_ she asked herself. _Ability?_ “Making better use of ability, but hesitating.” Nozomi said aloud. “So it means I can do more than I am doing, but I am not for some reason. Why would I not be doing it? Is it because I don’t know? Is not knowing an answer?” she mused. “I am not using my ability because I don’t know what to use my ability for.” she said after several seconds. Then she smiled brightly, she felt excited, the feeling like she just solved a difficult puzzle. Suddenly she was ready for the next one.

“Ace of Pentacles.” Nozomi said as she placed the card down. “And this means it’s in regular position. Which means-“ then she stopped to go through her book and notes again, “Okay, generally this means a new beginning. That is easy to understand.”

Then Nozomi drew the third card, “The World reversed.” she said as she placed it down. “That means that I feel potential, but feel like I’m not doing anything with it, right?” Then she looked at all three cards. “So the first card means I’m not using my ability because I don’t know what to do with it. The second card means something will be beginning for me. The third card means I have potential but am not doing anything with it. Combined they’re supposed to have a meaning as well.” she continued as she spoke out loud. _Does it mean I have great potential and ability but don’t know what to do with it, but something will happen soon?_ she asked herself. _Does it mean I need to want to do something? Maybe Angie will help._ Nozomi concluded.

\----

Throughout the day at school, Nozomi mostly thought about the reading she did the night before, trying to piece together its meaning. _This is difficult to understand._ she admitted to herself.

After cram school, she stayed in her seat as everyone left. Eventually she asked Angie, “I did a reading but am not sure how well I did.”

“What did you find?” Angie asked.

Nozomi explained the cards drawn. “I think it means I have potential but do not know what to do with it. It also means something new will begin for me soon.”

Angie smiled, “You did wonderfully. I wish I had an easier book, I know the words are complicated. You are trying to think about what you want now, right?” she asked.

Nozomi nodded. “Yes. I realize I do not know. I say I want to go to university, but feel like I should consider something different.”

“There are more opportunities that you do not know about, so you never thought of them. Also your English has improved greatly just by translating that book, you did very well with that.” Angie added, seeming rather happy. “Continue to practice your English, and I know an opportunity that would be wonderful for someone like you!”

“Is this what new beginning means?” Nozomi asked.

“You could say that. Improve your ability to read the cards too.” Angie said, “And you will experience all kinds of possibilities.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always wanted a chance to explain what exactly Nozomi was doing with Tarot cards that were in English. It was one of the things about her that stuck out for me from the earliest moments she showed up.


	38. Chapter 38

The next couple months passed. Nozomi spent what free time she could studying the book and trying to gain a better understanding of it. When she revisited particularly difficult words and phrases she would ask Angie, who was more than happy to explain them. Nozomi continued to do drawings for herself, but each time the cards seemed to give her similar answers. One day after cram school she asked Angie, “The cards always give me the same answer when I ask them what I should do. Why is that?”

Angie smiled, as she often did whenever Nozomi brought up the cards. “A trait of the cards is they make you be honest with yourself. What do they keep telling you?”

“They tell me to do something different. Something more than just go to university.” Nozomi said. Her regular conversations with Angie had helped her English significantly in the past couple months.

“You said you thought the world was a bad place when we started talking, but you could not explain why. Do you think you could try now?” Angie asked.

“I think so.” Nozomi began. “Sarin.” She paused after saying that. Angie didn’t respond at first, but she eventually nodded and Nozomi continued, “Well, not just that. I’m aware, but I do not understand what I should do.”

“You are rather intelligent, but you know that already. What if I told you there was something you could do to prevent those bad things from happening?” Angie asked next.

“Does that exist? You mean like police? I do not want to just be behind a desk or getting officers coffee.” Nozomi replied.

“Well, I know something where you would be appreciated. I should warn you, it is very hard. You are intelligent, but it will strain even you. At the end, you will have what you want, the power to prevent terrible things from happening.” Angie was enthusiastic in her tone, smiling as she made the suggestion.

Nozomi’s eyes widened at that. “What do I have to do?”

“Your first task is mastery of English. I will help you with that, but if you can not accomplish that task, then you will have no hope of enduring what else will be required.” Angie explained.

“I accept.” Nozomi replied.

\----

“So Angie recruited you.” Eli interrupted.

“In short, yes.” Nozomi replied. “I couldn’t help but like her, especially after getting to know her quite well after two years. She made it sound like fun, even when telling me it was hard. She was in it for the thrill, really. She loved the adventure of it, you could say. Her personality was infectious, more than anything I could manage.”

“A role model.” Eli said. “I get it now, she really did rub off on you in some ways, especially when you play the role of the student here.”

“I know it’s been hard, Elichi.” Nozomi admitted. “I’m sorry I didn’t at least try to make it better for you. None of this would have happened if I did that. Or at least let you enjoy it a little.”

“Just… continue.” Eli said after several seconds.

\----

After two years, Nozomi had graduated high school, afterwards she met with Angie. “I did it!” Nozomi said, smiling brightly.

“You did!” Angie exclaimed, smiling as well. Then she produced a plane ticket. “Your next step.” she said, offering it to Nozomi. “Once you take this, there really is no going back.”

“I’m determined.” Nozomi declared. Then she looked at the ticket, “Only one?” she asked.

“I have to stay here, but take the cards with you, so a little bit of me can always be with you.” Angie suggested. Then her tone grew more serious, “But from here on out, I won’t be able to help you much. It is a hard life, but the rewards will be worth it. I promise.”

Nozomi took the plane ticket, “Thank you. For everything.”

\----

“And who exactly did you start working for, you still haven’t answered that question.” Eli objected.

Nozomi didn’t answer for several seconds, “I was getting there, but the easiest answer is NATO.” she relented.

“Even I know that’s mostly European. Since when did they operate in Japan?” Eli asked.

“Okay, the answer is more complicated. Our unit was formed a little under twenty years ago from the NATO members to deal with the various organizations that were either founded or began operating in Russia.” Nozomi began. “The people you worked for have been around for longer, but Russia was fertile ground, especially with the economic collapse that took place, as you know.”

“I know all too well, yes.” Eli confirmed.

“The easiest way to explain it is we were founded to stop the people you worked for.” Nozomi says in conclusion. “Or if not stop them, try to contain them. They’ve been successful enough they can operate in Russia with near impunity. The problem is, once again as you are aware, they are attempting to expand beyond just that. Which is what you were a part of.”

“And what exactly does Otonokizaka have to do with all of this?” Eli asked next.

“Other schools, such as UTX, are fronts for their organization. Their main purpose is to identify students to recruit so in five to ten years they have plenty of Japanese assets in the country. Otonokizaka staying open would, while not solving all of the problems, at least do some harm to their recruitment efforts.” Nozomi explained. “It’s part of why you specifically were sent. Otonokizaka closing would be a nice objective for them, but they do not have many high quality Japanese operatives, so using one on Otonokizaka would be a waste. Hence, you.”

Eli looked down slightly. “It always hurts a little when it’s pointed out how insignificant I am in all of this.”

“It’s not much different for me, actually.” Nozomi offered. “It’s not that I’m worthless so much as I was available, could look young enough, and wasn’t essential to other operations. I was actually insulted by the assignment when I received it, but it appears things are a bit more exciting than I anticipated. I didn’t actually expect someone like you to be sent here. On top of that we have actual experienced operatives to deal with now. Have I answered some of your questions at least?” she asked.

“Not all of them, but I understand a little better now.” Eli replied.

“I’ll make more time for you, Elichi. It feels nice to tell someone some of this.” Nozomi offered, then she smiled, “It is the end of the week, would you like a drink with me? We can dress up, find some poorly lit neighborhood, and see how long it takes for something interesting to happen. Oh, no need to bring any money, we’ll pick some up along the way.”

Eli paused for several seconds. _A peace offering. As much as I want to object it is probably best to stop for now._ she thought.  “It’s a terrible idea, but it does sound like fun.” Eli admitted. “Tell me more while we’re out?”

“I do have at least a couple three drink stories to tell.” Nozomi said with a smile. “So if we succeed, okay.”

“Then sure, I’ll go with you.” Eli agreed.


	39. Chapter 39

Eli went to her apartment, took her hair out of the ponytail, and put on her black suit. After a couple hours she heard a knock on her door. Eli answered to see Nozomi dressed similarly. “Your taste in apparel needs some work, but it wouldn’t be so bad to enjoy it a little.” Nozomi greeted with a smile.

“So you brought money, right?” Eli asked.

“Of course not! I told you we would pick some up on the way.” Nozomi said as she walked in. “Think of it like a game, we drink for free and hopefully make it back here in one piece if we succeed.”

“What exactly do you have in mind?” was Eli’s next question.

Nozomi shook her head slowly and chided, “No, no, not yet. You’ll see. It will be fun, I promise.”

“Why am I suddenly terrified of your idea of fun?” Eli asked flatly. “Especially after the story you just told me.”

Nozomi paused for a couple seconds, then looked down at Eli’s feet. “Wear flat shoes, no heels, you’ll regret it if you wear heels for this.” she said, objecting to the black dress shoes with a two inch heel Eli had chosen prior to Nozomi’s arrival.

“Yes, I am terrified now.” Eli said flatly as she took off the shoes and went back into the bedroom for a couple seconds, returning with another pair of black shoes which were flat.

“Better.” Nozomi said.

\----

An hour later after some time on the subway and a bit of walking, Nozomi and Eli had arrived at their destination. The lighting was indeed poor, with most of it coming from the bars and other establishments that made up the area. The place was also moderately crowded, filled with people celebrating the end of a workweek.

“I thought you said you didn’t bring money, but you obviously paid for transit fare here.” Eli observed as they arrived.

“Oh, right, I forgot about that part!” Then Nozomi smiled and quietly said in an intentionally poorly acted tone, “Oh no! I am out of money and we used all of it on fare to get here! How ever will we leave?” Then she returned to her more normal tone, “Looks like we’ll have to be creative to have drinks and make it home, so I guess we’re stuck here until we solve that problem!”

“You planned this.” Eli observed, a hint of irritation in her voice.

“Of course I did!” Nozomi replied cheerfully. “It’s no fun to have an adventure if we can just leave without having to do anything. So I guess we will have to get some money here somehow.”

“No.” Eli said firmly, “I am not selling my-“ Then she was cut off by Nozomi.

“Not that.” Nozomi interrupted. “That’s too easy, not particularly fun, and men aren’t even your type. We’re going to steal it, and you’re going to help.”

Eli shook her head, “You can’t be serious. You take me to a bad neighborhood, tell me you’re out of money, and that we’re going to steal the money we need to drink and get home?”

“Think of it as fun. Also as training. It will be crowded which makes it easier for you. It’s also dark which will help.” Nozomi explained. “Besides, you need to learn to do this eventually.”

\----

_Seriously, she’s insane._ Eli thought as Nozomi left her alone. _At least she provided basic instructions._ She started walking. She looked around, trying to pick out someone in the crowd that was distracted or otherwise occupied. _Most people have difficulty focusing on more than one thing at once._ Eli remembered from Nozomi’s instructions.

_Then again, she did get my phone that way, so she obviously knows what she’s doing._ Eli remembered next. The poor lighting made it harder to observe the people around her. _That also makes it harder to observe me too._ she added mentally.

Eli neared the exits of one of the drinking establishments, seeing a man who had already had several drinks leaving, presumably for another place. She smiled as she saw this. She started walking towards him, as she approached she took a hand, making a grab for the contents of his pocket. _It looks like something is being stored there._ she thought, seeing a slight bulge. Then when within range she reached into the pocket, quickly, bringing her fingers together to grab the contents and then removing her hand. The entire motion took less than a second.

Her hand felt light. Eli kept walking to minimize the suspicion, then she looked down at her hand. It was empty. _I missed?_ Eli thought in a brief panic. She kept walking, however. Then her phone began to vibrate, it was a text from Nozomi. <Nice choice of target, it’s okay to make a little more contact next time.>

_So she is watching._ Eli smiled a little with that. _I suppose it’s time for another attempt._ She looked around, she was passing another place. _Likely another person who has had a bit to drink._ she thought as she saw someone leave. She looked for the bulge that looked like something would be stored in a pocket. This time her hand went deeper, the fingers were initially spread further apart and she made sure to feel the weight of having grabbed something this time. When she took her hand out she kept walking, then she looked down and saw she did have a wallet. _A little over three thousand._ she observed as she took the money and put it in a pocket in her jacket, dropping the wallet without any further ceremony. The person she took it from seemed to not notice and kept walking away from her.

Then she smiled as she kept walking. _That. It was fun._ she admitted to herself. Suddenly she felt excited and euphoric. She started to look for another target with significant enthusiasm, but felt a hand on her shoulder. Eli suddenly panicked, she turned around to see it was Nozomi.

“You did well.” Nozomi said, “But stop for tonight, you have enough, right? You don’t want to push yourself too much, people start getting suspicious if you do this for more than a few minutes at a time.”

Eli nodded in reply, calming down as she realized it was Nozomi who had made contact. “Did you get anything?” she asked.

“I was mostly watching Elichi, but a little bit. Two thousand or so.” Nozomi replied. “We have plenty and now we can have fun.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen, right?” Eli asked. While she was excited about her success, she was also nervous about the consequences of what she had done.

“I can’t promise nothing bad will happen, but it is unlikely anything will come of this. You need more practice, but for now we can go inside and have something nice.” Nozomi said. “Did you like it?”

“It was… scary at the time, but fun now that it’s over.” Eli admitted.

Then Nozomi took Eli’s hand and began walking. Eli followed along to keep up. “I’ll send you some things so you can know how to do better next time. It wasn’t so bad, was it?” she asked. “You’ll need this one day.” Then another smile, “But for now, Elichi, let’s enjoy a drink.”

Eli nodded in agreement, smiling herself. “Okay.” she agreed.

\----

“Why am I attracted to you?” Eli asked with a mock lament after a couple drinks. The place was run down, but they took the stolen money with few questions and provided drinks. The two sat at a booth in the corner.

“I think you want the excitement I can offer!” Nozomi said cheerfully, who had a couple drinks herself by now as well. “Any other girl you could spend time with would be painfully dull, what could you possibly do with her, in addition to her immaturity?” she asked. “Me? I have everything you wish for. You want the adventure. Admit it, you liked your work.”

Eli paused as Nozomi asked for her confession. “I… I shouldn’t admit to liking anything like what I did.” she insisted.

Nozomi smiled as she continued with her drink. “No, you shouldn’t. It was easy, it was fun. It was a game. Just like what you did tonight. After your first success, you were going to do it again because you wanted to. You had enough money to leave, but you didn’t.”

Eli was already blushing from the alcohol, but she looked down. “It was a little fun.” she admitted quietly.

“You keep complaining at the boring parts, which means you want the exciting moments. You want someone to share them with.” Nozomi added. “Very soon you will have all the excitement you want, you just need to be ready for it. It will be even more fun when you know what you’re doing, I promise.”

“I really am hopeless, aren’t I?” Eli asked.

“You are, but so am I. It isn’t so bad. It is hard, yes, but it will be nice to have someone to share it with. That is what the cards told us, after all.” Nozomi explained.

“Is it?” Eli asked. “I thought you already did a reading.”

“I did, but sometimes the reading isn’t entirely clear until you have more information. Our relationship will deepen, but remember the third card, Temperance.” Nozomi then sighed, “I think that one was for me. Elichi is right to say that I am too obsessed with my work to the neglect of others around me. Once you said that I understood the meaning of the cards better.”

Eli then took out what remained of the money she took earlier in the evening. “I think we have enough for one more drink and enough money to get back to my place.”

“Elichi wants a shot, doesn’t she? One for me too then.” Nozomi requested.

Eli got up, and a couple minutes later returned with a pair of shots and handed one to Nozomi. “On three, then we leave.” she said.

Then in unison the two said, “One. Two. Three!” and then they both lifted up their shots and drank them quickly. After that, the two left for Eli’s apartment.

\----

Having had the shot right before leaving only made the pair more intoxicated when they arrived at Eli’s apartment. “It’s so hot in here now.” Nozomi complained on entry.

“It’s terrible like this at times.” Eli admitted, taking off the jacket she had worn out. Nozomi followed with her jacket, letting it fall to the floor. Eli then wrapped her arms around Nozomi, whose first reaction was to close and lock the door behind her before returning the embrace.

“Elichi is affectionate tonight.” Nozomi observed, but she wasn’t unhappy.

“Maybe it’s the alcohol, but I’ve wanted this for so long.” Eli continued, releasing Nozomi long enough to start undoing the buttons on the blouse Nozomi was wearing. Though with the intoxication, the effort was somewhat clumsy.

“Are you sure we should be doing this, Elichi?” Nozomi asked, still embracing the Russian woman.

“Isn’t this what we’re supposed to do?” Eli asked, having undone a couple buttons by now.

Nozomi pulled Eli closer, “Elichi, you should stop, this isn’t what you want, not really. You’ve had too much.”

Eli tried to protest, but being pulled closer to Nozomi made her unable to keep undoing buttons. Her response was to put her arms back around Nozomi. “No! That’s not it! We’re adults, we’re supposed to do this!”

“No, Elichi, this is not something you should do after drinking, not the first time with someone.” Nozomi said. Then she quietly asked, “Is this Elichi’s first time?”

“No. Well.” Eli began, her voice quieter now as well. “I mean, I promised it a lot in the past but I never actually had to do it. We’re alone now, and I want it to be with you, isn’t that enough?”

Nozomi shook her head, “No, it shouldn’t be like that.” she began. “I love Elichi and would not be able to live with myself if she had any regrets about something like this.” She kept holding Eli.

“But isn’t this about deepening our relationship? Isn’t this what we have to do to do that?” Eli asked, but her voice kept becoming quieter.

“The cards do not say how something happens. A relationship must deepen emotionally before it can happen physically.” Nozomi explained. “If you try to make a relationship deepen physically before you are emotionally ready, it can do more harm than anything.”

“But I am ready!” Eli insisted, but she didn’t make any further movements. “It’s the next step, we haven’t done it yet. We’ve held hands, kissed, hugged, isn’t this what we have to do next?”

“Not until you’re ready.” Nozomi insisted. Then she removed one arm from behind Eli, using the remaining one to guide Eli towards the bedroom. “For now, you will sleep. I will stay here in this room tonight, but I am not going to do anything with you that you would regret tomorrow.”

Eli walked as she was guided to the bedroom by Nozomi, not putting up much in the way of resistance. “But what about us?” she asked.

“I will make sure you are safe tonight, and I will see you in the morning, but for now, rest.” Nozomi insisted, guiding Eli into what passed for a bed in this apartment. Nozomi soon left the room for the main room shortly after that, but within a few minutes heard the sounds of Eli sleeping.

_Seven years of high school assignments._ Nozomi reflected, _It is no wonder she lacks maturity in certain areas._ Then Nozomi looked down at the couch in rather poor condition. _I suppose I should get a little rest, who knows how she will react when she wakes up._ With that Nozomi took off her shoes and went to lie on the couch on her back, falling asleep soon enough herself.


	40. Chapter 40

Nozomi woke up first. The apartment was still dark, but turning on one of the lights solved that issue. She then looked at her phone, _It’s only 9. We were out late last night, so she may be some time yet._ she thought. She then stood up to stretch, realizing that sleeping on a dilapidated couch was less than optimal for comfort.

_Who do I even ask for help with this situation?_ Nozomi asked herself as she went through the phone. _Anyone official would tell me to not have a relationship. Anyone else from school wouldn’t understand the problems at all._ Nozomi continued to stare at her phone, hoping an answer of some kind would come to her, but she mostly just stood in the main room of Eli’s apartment looking at the screen blankly, no solution coming to her.

_We really are the only two who understand each other, aren’t we?_ Nozomi concluded as she heard steps towards the bedroom door. Nozomi put her phone away as it opened and Eli stepped into the main room. Her hair was disheveled from sleep, her blouse was half untucked from her skirt. Nozomi looked over and offered a small smile, “Good morning, are you feeling well?” she asked in greeting.

“Are we okay?” is all Eli managed to ask, quietly. Her head was tilted downward, just standing in front of the door to the bedroom.

“Do you remember last night?” Nozomi asked, “You had a little too much to drink.”

“Mostly. I know I wanted you to come to bed with me, you refused, and I fell asleep shortly after that.” Eli answered.

“We’re okay.” Nozomi said with a smile. “I’m glad nothing you would have regretted happened.”

“Why did you refuse?” Eli asked. “I know you said a lot of things, but I mostly know you held me and refused. Why?”

Nozomi took a seat on the couch, looking over at Eli. “I love Elichi, and do not wish to do things that would hurt her. When you told me why you wanted what you wanted last night I was unsure about your motivations.”

“So you did mean it when you said you love me?” Eli asked, smiling as she did so.

“I thought about it. Our lives are unique, we are bound together through something that we have with no one else. Others may understand if we explained, but most would not.” Nozomi explained. The single light illuminating the room made the apartment look even more dilapidated than it was, somewhere between bright enough to blind if one was looking at it and too dim to illuminate much. Yet Nozomi continued, “Our lives have special trials that are not shared between most people. Imagine asking anyone else at Otonokizaka about what we face and they would not understand. You are the only one that can understand me at all, and I am the only one that can understand you.”

Eli nodded, but it was Nozomi who continued to speak, “I know you may feel like I rejected you last night.” Then Nozomi stood. “I wasn’t trying to reject you, it was the opposite. I didn’t want you to wake up today feeling like I used you or took advantage of you. I understand why you have been angry at me, because I have treated you poorly and have been more than willing to use you. I acknowledge that. I am sorry and ask for your forgiveness.” Then Nozomi took a deep breath, “But more than that, I realized I care about you. I want to stay with you. I want you to stay with me.”

“Nozomi, it’s okay, I’ll forgive you if that’s what you want.” Eli said quietly, but as she took a pause Nozomi started speaking again. The light Nozomi turned on earlier started to flicker.

“I don’t just want your forgiveness, Elichi.” Nozomi began again. “I want Elichi.” she paused after saying that. At that moment the light went out, the room being mostly dark except for a little bit of light creeping through the bottom of the door. “Even though I know it will be difficult. Even though I know it is forbidden for multiple reasons. I never expected someone like you to be able to understand me, but I know now you are the only one that can understand me. I will do better, I have to. I know this is a poor choice of place for this, and far worse than the one you chose last year, and I’ve never done this before, but Elichi, I love you, please go out with me!” with that Nozomi bowed deeply.

Eli watched Nozomi as she confessed. She smiled, then tears came to her eyes she didn’t try to hold back. “You really did choose a terrible place.” she replied. Then she laughed a little. “A confession, for real this time. From a woman I know to be in her mid-twenties to a woman just a few years younger. On top of that we spend our time pretending to be teenage girls. We are something that can only be understood by each other.” then she took steps towards Nozomi, “Stand.” Nozomi did so as Eli went to kiss her. Nozomi reciprocated the kiss and wrapped her arms around Eli.

Tears came to Nozomi’s eyes as well. “Thank you, Elichi.” was all she could manage to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure several people reading have been waiting for a scene like this for some time. The exact nature of the scene may not be what you expected, but I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Writing this relationship has been particularly challenging for me, especially this process of portraying two people who have little, if any, experience in a healthy romantic relationship trying to achieve a relationship that can be considered healthy, especially when their relationship throughout the story so far could likely be considered unhealthy in any number of ways, depending on exactly when in the story one considers. Certainly it has a long way to go, and it’s one of the major aspects of the second year for this story. Not only do they have the matter of trying to achieve and maintain a healthy relationship, they still have other tasks they need to do.


	41. Chapter 41

Nozomi returned to her own apartment a short time later. Her clothes were wrinkled and showed the obvious signs of having slept in them. Once home she took them off, placing them on the back of her couch and went to lie in her own bed. She was happy Eli accepted her confession, but ever since she left she had been plagued by a single question, _I’m in a relationship with Eli, but what do I do now?_

She looked up at her ceiling, pulling covers over her. She tried to think back through her past experiences. _Do I know anyone that was in a romantic relationship? Adult ones?_ she asked herself. She knew her classmates dated in high school, but did not give much thought to those. _The safest way to exist in this field is to avoid being connected to others._ Nozomi recalled, an axiom from her training.

\----

“Did you ever love anyone, Sergei?” Nozomi asked the man she was drinking with one night. By this point Nozomi had been in Saint Petersburg for two years and had known the man she was working with reasonably well. Nozomi understood personal questions like this where off limits to most people, but felt she had known him long enough to attempt to ask.

“Of course I did.” the older man answered, taking a drink of his vodka. “Is that what they teach you? To never love anyone because it’s easier that way?” he laughed at this. “Most of us had families in the old days. We did love them too. We still do. For those who travelled, the family would be part of the cover, it actually helped in many cases.”

“Then why do they teach relationships are dangerous now?” Nozomi asked. “It seems obvious, but you make it sound like they were common.”

“Back then, well, back then those of us who worked inside our country could go to work, do our job of gathering and processing information, and come home to our families. Those out of country could do the same, it was a little more dangerous, but they could count on diplomatic covers to protect them if anything should happen. When they were caught, the worst that would happen is they would be sent back and told they were no longer welcome wherever they were.” Sergei explained. Then he sighed, “These days it’s all about deep cover operatives without official cover since we can’t rely on the old rules anymore.”

Nozomi looked down at her vodka, taking a small drink of it. She no longer made faces whenever she drank it straight anymore like she used to when she arrived. “So what was it like, to love someone in this kind of work?” she asked.

The older man laughed, “Is it really different from a relationship outside of this?” he asked. “You work, you’re paid, you go home to someone who cares about you and you make time for each other when you can. Children made that harder, but we managed.”

\----

_Sergei had a point._ Nozomi realized, remembering one of the old conversations she had with him. She reached for her phone and typed out a message, <New relationship, any advice?> hitting the send button.

Nozomi continued to lie in bed for the next fifteen minutes, she was tired, but she was having difficulty returning to sleep. Then her phone vibrated with a reply written in Russian, <Is it the Russian girl? Spend time with her and get to know her.> Nozomi read the reply, sent a thank you, and went back to looking up at her ceiling from her bed. _Why does he make it sound so simple?_

Nozomi then sent out another text, <Come over later today?> The reply to this one was faster, and an affirmative response. With that Nozomi continued to lie in her bed to tried and get a little more rest.

\----

Later, in the early evening, Eli knocked on the door of Nozomi’s apartment. Nozomi answered it, “Hello.” She said, smiling. After Eli entered she closed the door. Eli was dressed in her Otonokizaka uniform, but she herself still looked tired, the uniform itself wrinkled, having obviously been worn and cast aside at least once recently.

On the table the topological map of Japan was laid out, now with the entire coastline marked in several colors. “You’re still working on that?” Eli asked.

“I finished, actually.” Nozomi replied, sitting down on the couch. Eli went to take her spot in a chair, but Nozomi added, “You can sit next to me, it’s okay.” Eli hesitated a little, but did take a seat next to Nozomi, with about a foot between the two. “Don’t worry, I didn’t call you over to work on this today.”

“So what are we working on?” Eli asked.

“Actually, I wasn’t planning on doing any work today, that is what you wanted, right?” Nozomi asked.

“I suppose so.” Eli said. The two women then sat in silence for 30 seconds, both looking in the general direction of the map on the table.

Then Nozomi spoke, her tone with a certain forced aspect to her cheerfulness, “So, what kind of music do you listen to?” she asked, seemingly desperate for some kind of conversation topic, something to break the silence.

“Mostly classical.” Eli replied. “It is what I learned to dance to, so I got used to it and grew to appreciate it. Do you have any preferences?” she asked.

Nozomi kept looking at the map, “Not really.” she said at first, then started laughing, “It’s embarrassing to be asked a question like that. Everybody can appreciate someone liking classical music, but some things are just embarrassing to like.”

“There’s something you’re embarrassed of?” Eli asked. “Of all the things you are, you’re embarrassed of the music you listen to?” then Eli started laughing as well. “The thought of you being embarrassed by something so mundane is cute.”

With that, Nozomi’s cheeks turned a slight shade of red. “It’s just popular music, nothing like what you listen to. I did live in Russia for a while, so I listened to some things there as well.”

Eli laughed a little more, “Fine, it’s a secret between us that I’ll keep for you.” With that, the ice was broken for both of them as they continued to talk to each other.

\----

That night, Eli eventually returned to the place that was supposed to be home, it was rather late, and she had not been there in a couple days. By this point Eli’s hair was a mess and she was wearing a wrinkled Otonokizaka uniform.

“Out with Nozomi again?” were the words Eli was greeted with, she looked to where they came from to see Hitomi.

“Yeah.” Eli replied quietly, she was rather exhausted from the past couple of days and the last thing she wanted was an interaction with Hitomi.

“Oh, how is that going? Are you making progress?” Hitomi asked next. “Is she proving too difficult?”

“She’s very difficult.” Eli replied, barely audible. The fatigue was starting to combine with the anxiety of dealing with Hitomi. It was all Eli could do to not be visibly unnerved by the older woman.

“Do you need help? We do have other means if you are having too much trouble.” Hitomi asked. Eli started to say something in response but right away Hitomi cut her off, “I know you like her, but if you can not succeed we will need to do something soon.” Hitomi continued. Then she added, “Why did I have to be sent some worthless girl from the Far East? I’d trust a Bulgarian over you, and they couldn’t even shoot an unarmed man at 5 meters.”

Eli started to respond again, but the fatigue was too much for her and she just fell silent, which Hitomi took as an opportunity to go on. “Actually, no, I will help you, I’ll show you how an actual Russian handles these matters. Three nights from now, bring her over for dinner. That’s all you have to do, not even you could fuck that up. And no, that isn’t a choice, that isn’t an option, you will be doing this or I’ll send you back to wherever you came from. I’d say you might get an assignment in Moscow but if you can’t even manage a sixteen year old girl, well, I’m sure they’ll find some use for a failed operative.”

With that, Hitomi walked further into the house, and Eli went to her bedroom. She went to lie in her bed, still in her uniform. She felt her body begin to cry, but realized between the past couple days and her encounter with Hitomi she couldn’t even manage that much, instead managing to just lie in her bed frozen in terror.


	42. Chapter 42

Nozomi woke up the next day to her phone ringing. She looked to see it was Eli calling. “Hello?” she asked. She was still somewhat tired from the past couple days, but was alert enough to answer a phone call.

“I’m right outside, we need to talk.” Eli said with a sense of urgency.

“I’ll let you in, I just need a couple minutes.” Nozomi said. With that she got out of her bed and went to open the door, allowing Eli in. “What is wrong, Elichi?” she asked.

Eli came into the apartment, closing the door behind her. “It’s Hitomi. When I came home last night she told me she wants you to come over for dinner and meet you.”

Nozomi didn’t say anything for several seconds, “Did you tell her that would be difficult, if not impossible? Anything to delay?” Nozomi went to take a seat on the couch.

“She didn’t let me say anything. Two days from now, she was saying she would have me taken off of the Otonokizaka assignment if I failed at this, as I have taken too long with you already.” Eli explained. Her voice was slow, shaken.

“Sit.” Nozomi said, indicating the spot next to her on the couch, which Eli did quietly. “I was afraid this would happen eventually. I really wanted to postpone this another year, but it sounds like we are out of time. We will need to prepare some kind of plan. I know you likely do not want to talk about it, but I need to know about this woman, as much as you can manage.”

“I don’t know much. At least twenty years older than you, probably some kind of administrator.” Eli began. Her voice was quiet, shaking just trying to come up with some kind of answer.

“Can you place her accent at all?” Nozomi asked next. Then she put an arm around Eli to draw her closer to her. “I know it is difficult, but anything you can tell me will help.”

“She sounds like a Muscovite.” Eli replied, moving closer to Nozomi when the arm was wrapped around her. “The kind of person who looks down on both the Russian Far East and the former client states. Said something about me being more useless than a Bulgarian who couldn’t hit an unarmed man, does that help?”

“That is a bit strange.” Nozomi said. The map of Japan was still set out on the table in front of the two, which Nozomi looked at for a few seconds. “I mean, it’s not abnormal for someone her age to talk that way, but choosing Bulgarians as a target is a strange choice, especially when she would have had any number of other countries to choose from to dislike.”

“So does that mean something?” Eli asked.

“She’s older than you think, Elichi.” Nozomi continued. “If I’m thinking of this correctly. She’s referring to an assassination attempt I believe. Except the part about missing, no, the assassin hit, but he did not kill. The timing of that was about 30 years ago, which means she’s probably closer to 50.”

“How does that help when you have to have dinner in the same room as her in two days?” Eli asked.

“It means she is an extremely dangerous woman. I was ordered to avoid her last year when I started looking into her. Now I’m starting to understand why. She likely has at least 30 years of experience in field operations.” Nozomi explained. “We need a plan of some kind.”

“So what are we going to do?” Eli asked.

“It looks like I will have to go have dinner with her.” Nozomi answered. “I will come up with a plan of some kind to get through it, but I fear this complicates our lives significantly. I am not going to ask you to buy me more time, as I know that is not possible. Do you have any ideas what her objectives are?”

“She said I’m supposed to recruit you and thinks I am just terrible at it.” Eli said. “So she said she would show me how someone like her would handle it.”

Nozomi sighed, but this was, of all things, one of relief. “That is a little good.”

“Why is that?” Eli asked.

“It means she is looking for me to be recruited still and not trying to kill me on the first meeting. That she thinks so little of you is the one advantage we have. She is highly skilled and more dangerous than I thought, but her underestimating you might be something we can use.” Then Nozomi stopped. “I will let you know when I have something. For now would you like some tea, it may help calm you.”

Eli nodded quietly, and with that Nozomi got up to make the tea.

\----

After Eli left, Nozomi went to the bedroom, and took out a screwdriver, undoing a hinge that kept the door attached to the wall. Once that was removed, she looked in the small space, seeing a small black key, which she took. Then she went and reached under her bed, sliding out a rather large black case, putting the key in the lock and opening it.

Nozomi’s eyes looked over its contents, starting on the left side. _What do I bring with me?_ she asked herself. She looked at a small pistol, then shook her head. _I will need to wear my uniform to dinner, there is no way I could reliably hide a pistol from her._ Then she looked at the Taser she kept. _That’s even bigger, and more useless. If I must, do I disable or kill?_ she continued with her analysis. Then she looked at the larger weapon, a Type 89 Japanese assault rifle. _A pity I can’t use you. If only you could live up to your name right now, Cunctator._ she thought. _No, weapons are not an option here, I need to appear innocent and that is my only defensive option._ Nozomi concluded, closing the case and putting the black key back in its spot.

_I really need something that resembles a plan, or at least knowledge of what is likely to happen._ Nozomi thought as she replaced the hinge. She had a little under two days to arrive at an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a chance to show a little bit about Nozomi through her armory, which has been hinted at a couple times in the past. For the curious, "Cunctator" is a Latin word. A direct translation is roughly "procrastinator" or "delayer."


	43. Chapter 43

A few hours after checking the case under her bed, Nozomi received a message. She saw the source and realized it was a reply to the report she sent in regarding Hitomi and the dinner invitation. It was short, simply saying, “Use your best judgment.” A response which caused Nozomi to sigh. _They have no idea how to handle this._ she realized.

The map of Japan with the coastline marked up had been put into storage by now. With the dinner with Hitomi looming the matter of Christine had been put off until the immediate crisis was over. _All that work on the map and it has to wait._ With that Nozomi went to her closet, taking out her camera, and soon enough was out the door.

\----

It was dusk by the time Nozomi got to the neighborhood where Hitomi lived. The lack of light was less than ideal for pictures, especially as she had disabled the flash on her camera. At the same time, it gave her a higher probability of not being seen.

The first camera shots were of the house with the camera zoomed in from a distance. General neighborhood shots were all she could manage at this point. She tried to take the photos at random intervals and when no one else was watching, so to avoid raising suspicion about her surveillance efforts. _I never thought I would be telling myself Russian operations were easier in some ways._ Nozomi thought bitterly as she went about trying to get closer to the house without getting noticed.

\----

It wasn’t that summers in Saint Petersburg were warm, but there was always the need to pack some warm clothing. More confusing to Nozomi was the near perpetual daylight the city had during this time of year. Which was significantly better than the perpetual darkness of winter she would experience later, but which was disorienting in its own way.

Sergei had given her a relatively simple assignment for the day, to find out who went in and out of a building. On her first trip to the area, Nozomi brought a camera and planned on watching the entrances from afar. Which worked well at first, until people started looking at her constantly and watching her, finding her suspicious, which ended with her leaving within the hour.

“Why did everyone just start staring at me after a few pictures?” Nozomi asked her partner.

“You’re Japanese. In Russia.” the older man replied, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. “Not only that, but sitting there with a camera is suspicious. The point is to not get caught.” he then sighed, “Why did I have to get the new girl?” he complained briefly, but shortly afterwards sent her back out.

The second attempt was different. This time Nozomi was sent out without the camera at all, but instead with a backpack and a purse. Sergei’s instructions were clearer this time. She found one of the children out at this hour and approached her, she took some money from her purse and smiled, “I’ll give you this. All you need to do is write down who you see go in and out of that building over there!” she said, motioning to the target, “I’ll give you more later, okay?” The girl readily agreed, and Nozomi produced a notebook and pen from the backpack. Nozomi repeated this process a couple dozen of times. _An impromptu intelligence network for less than a high end dining experience._ she realized. 

Nozomi collected the notebooks and paid out more money a few hours later, returning to Sergei. “I have it!” she said excitedly.

“Did you learn something today? Anyone can be an asset, and be aware of your surroundings.” Sergei said.

\----

_So how do I apply that now?_ Nozomi asked herself, having remembered the story from her early days in Russia. Then she smiled, _It will be a difficult next couple of days, but there may be something I can do._ she concluded a few seconds later. With that she left the area.

Nozomi travelled to her apartment, then to the neighborhood where Eli had her apartment. She recalled having seen a small electronics shop there, which she entered. “Your wireless cameras, how many of them do you have?” she asked right away. Then she took a small bag, placing it on the counter, “And how many will this get me.”

The man behind the counter looked inside the bag, seeing it had a significant amount of money in it. He then smiled, “I’ll get you some.” He didn’t ask any questions beyond that, and a few minutes later Nozomi was returning to her apartment with a dozen cameras ready for use. At which point she went to bed, realizing her plan would require her to wake up early the next day.

\----

Early the next morning, before it was dark out, Nozomi woke up, put on her Otonokizaka uniform and left. Once again, the trip was to where Hitomi lived. The difference this time was Nozomi came not with one singular camera for surveillance, but rather several. She placed most of the cameras a distance away from the residence, but managed to bring enough cameras to cover it from several angles. Once that was done, it was light out and Nozomi started the trip to Otonokizaka. _More expensive than recruiting children, but the same idea._ she reflected on the way to Otonokizaka.

In the student council room, Eli had arrived first today. “Good morning, Elichi!” she greeted cheerfully, enough that her persona as the student council vice president would not be in danger. Once she took her seat, however, she said to Eli, “Be at my place tonight, we have work to do.”

“So that means you have a plan for getting through this dinner?” Eli asked hopefully.

“No.” Nozomi admitted. “The most I’ll have tonight is a chance to come up with a good idea or two, but I need your help and I will have some more information.”

“Of course, I’ll just tell Hitomi you’re a little nervous about coming over, but you will, and will feel better if I guide you through the etiquette.” Eli offered.

Nozomi then smiled, “That’s a surprisingly good idea.” she granted to Eli. “Tell her I’m nervous about meeting new people. It will allow some room for any odd behaviors she may detect. She probably is not in a position where she works with people my supposed age every day, which may place just enough doubt in her that we can get through this. Thank you for the help, Elichi.” she added at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nozomi has quite a bit of backstory left to tell, but from here on it'll mostly be told through smaller stories about her previous experiences rather than infodumps. Mostly because I dislike infodumping and think it's more interesting to tell smaller stories. Eli's story was relatively short and simple, where Nozomi has much more (and varied) experiences. She'll become less of a mystery over time.
> 
> Looks like the dinner itself will be in about two chapters at the rate I'm going.


	44. Chapter 44

That night Nozomi went to collect the cameras and returned to her apartment, Eli meeting her there shortly after her arrival. When Eli came in, Nozomi had a pair of laptops out. “We’ll watch the videos at eight times speed to try to find anything useful, most of it will be terribly unexciting, but this is important work, and I can’t do it in one night by myself.”

Eli sighed, still not liking the boring aspects of the work, but she took a seat on the couch in front of one of the laptops, “Okay.” she agreed. Nozomi took a seat next to her with another laptop at the ready. “If you see anything strange, let me know. Even at eight times speed we have at least six hours of work ahead of us.”

“That much?” Eli asked. “How much did you get?”

“About twelve hours from each camera.” Nozomi answered. “I only had enough time to gather that much.”

With that, the two women loaded up files and started watching. For the first couple hours, it was mostly boredom. On occasion they would pause their videos to get something to drink or take a break from the tedium of surveillance.

“So much of it is just the same from different angles.” Eli observed.

“We may find nothing.” Nozomi admitted. “Surveillance is boring, but essential work. If we can find out anything of use it will be worth it.”

The overall story most of the cameras viewed four hours into the surveillance was Eli leaving for Otonokizaka, followed by Hitomi, followed by her husband, then Hitomi and her husband returning later in the day.

A couple hours later Eli paused another video before asking Nozomi, “What’s this?” she asked. She then rewound the video and played an image of Hitomi dropping a small object in front of one of the cameras. The cameras were of too low quality to determine exactly what it was, but it was clear she dropped something on the ground.

“A dead drop, she really is old.” Nozomi answered. When Eli looked confused she explained, “It’s an old way of passing information covertly, you place an item in a place where another person will pick it up. She’s making it look like just a piece of garbage on the ground, which works better in Russia than Japan, but it’s serviceable.”

“So what happens next?” Eli asked.

Nozomi put her laptop back in front of her to focus on the video Eli was watching. “You found something important, what time of the day is this?”

“It’s early, when she left.” Eli answered. “What do we do now?”

“We watch, resume playing the video.” Nozomi said, which Eli did. “Now watch for anyone looking like they’re crouching down in that spot and we’ll know something new.” The video kept playing, for the next hour nothing happened. People walked by, but no one crouched. Then, eventually, they saw someone crouch down in that spot. “Rewind it a bit, slow it down to normal speed, then resume.” Eli complied with the request quickly.

The video showed a girl in her mid teens kneeling at the piece of trash. Her technique was rather obvious to anyone watching, she blatantly picked it up. The girl was wearing a white school uniform with a black line at the bottom of the pleated skirt. The girl herself had brown colored hair. “A UTX uniform.” Eli finally said.

“Yeah, now we just need to find out who the girl is.” Nozomi added, “As much as I would love to get a hold of whatever she picked up is, we don’t have time for that right now, and I think it means Hitomi is going to be a bigger problem than I previously thought.”

“Why does this make things even worse?” Eli asked, growing concerned.

“It means Hitomi is involved with UTX somehow.” Nozomi explained quickly. “Not only that, it means the chances she’ll see through me are much higher than anticipated. Explaining I’m shy and nervous may work, but there are no guarantees since she probably knows how an actual teenage girl will react to her. She’s forcing the issue, she knows she’s in full command of the situation, and we have nothing resembling a good plan on getting through this.” Nozomi’s voice was flat, it wasn’t angry or irritated, just a sober analysis of the situation she faced with Eli in less than a day. Then she sighed, “It’s not your fault.” she tried to assure Eli. “We knew this would happen eventually, and you delayed as long as you could. We will do the best we can. Unfortunately you are in no position yet to openly defy Hitomi. Will she be surprised if we act out a teenage romantic relationship, she knows that much about me, right?”

“Yes, she does.” Eli confirmed.

“That is something we can work with.” Nozomi concluded. “And it is probably the best we have. Forgive me in advance, but this will probably be awkward for both of us.” Eli just nodded. “I do not want to say this to you, but I do it because it is in the best interest of both of us. Go home, get some good sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. No need to see me at the student council in the morning or after school, I’ll take care of that, you just get any rest you can.”

“Okay, Nozomi.” Eli replied. With that she left for the night, anxious for the next day, but trying to follow Nozomi’s instructions to try and rest.


	45. Chapter 45

For Nozomi, the morning went by as any normal morning would. She went to the student council room, much as usual, the difference today being that Eli was not present, as instructed. Nozomi enjoyed the quiet room, using it to mentally prepare for the dinner later in the day. Nozomi’s relaxation technique was mostly about running the most likely scenarios in her mind and a mental rehearsal of her reactions to them.

Right before class, Nozomi instructed Eli to see her during lunch in the student council room. When the time came, the two went to the student council room and Nozomi closed the door behind them to have some privacy with Eli.

“Does this mean you have a plan?” Eli asked. Her hands were shaking slightly just thinking about later in the day, her words labored and she was generally having difficulty focusing.

“Whatever I do tonight, just go along with it. I can’t give you a better plan than that.” Nozomi offered. Then she looked at Nozomi as she was shaking. “I thought this might happen, if Hitomi sees you like this it will be really bad.” she observed.

“Not helping.” Eli managed to say tersely, her mood not being helped by the reminder. It was then Nozomi reached into a pocket of the jacket and handed Eli a small pill. “What is it?” Eli asked.

“It’s a pill to calm your nerves. I thought something like this might happen so I had it shipped in for you. Don’t ask where it came from, and don’t worry if you start feeling numb. Don’t expect this to happen again, but this is nothing less than a crisis right now.” Nozomi explained, her tone was completely serious, almost a disturbing calm was evident in her tone. _Good thing I saved these from last year._ she thought as she explained the effects of the pill to Eli.

“Is it safe?” Eli asked, looking at it and taking it into her hand.

“As long as you don’t take it too often it’s not an issue.” Nozomi replied.

“Is this what you use on operations?” Eli asked.

Nozomi shook her head, “No, it’s a terrible idea to rely on these for prolonged operations, but for one night it will be okay for you to take one. I have training for this kind of thing, and you do not, so I thought to do this for you.”

“Thanks.” Eli said. “I’ll go and take it.”

“See you at your place tonight.” Nozomi said.

“I’m not sure if it’s more or less disturbing when you drop the schoolgirl act around me here.” Eli said, but with that she left.

\----

After classes were done Nozomi returned to the student council room, using the couple hours she had in the afternoon to finish her mental preparations for the dinner. Soon enough it was time. Nozomi left Otonokizaka and started travelling towards Eli’s home, where Hitomi would be. She felt moderately anxious, but would force herself to smile. _This is the most dangerous thing I have done in a while, isn’t it?_ she thought.

Finally she was at the door, Eli, and more importantly, Hitomi, would be right behind it. She rung the doorbell, waiting. Then the door opened. What greeted her wasn’t the image of a Russian operative, but what appeared to be a woman in her early thirties that had taken on the image and appearance of a Japanese housewife, complete with an apron. The only thing that disabused Nozomi of that notion was the woman’s obvious Caucasian features and her blonde hair. “Good afternoon!” the woman greeted excitedly. “Are you Nozomi Toujou? I am so glad to meet you finally! Eli says so much about you.”

Nozomi nodded and smiled, “I am. I hope Elichi says good things about me!” she replied with all the enthusiasm she could managed. The student persona was in full use for tonight.

“Please, come in.” the woman offered, and Nozomi stepped inside, removing her shoes. “I know this place is a little too big sometimes, I have trouble keeping it all clean, but I always welcome Eli’s friends into our home.”

Nozomi nodded enthusiastically. “Thank you for having me!” she said, smiling brightly. Then she paused, looking at Eli, who was off down the main corridor, and the woman, “Now I know what Elichi will look like when she’s older!” then another pause, “I’m sorry, sometimes I say inappropriate things.” she said in a more subdued voice.

“Come inside and sit at the table, I left you a place next to Eli, since you two are such good friends. I will be in there in a few minutes.” she said.

Nozomi walked down the corridor, past Eli, who looked rather subdued and at least significantly tired. “That’s Hitomi.” was all Eli managed to say, indicating the woman who greeted her at the door. Eli then took at seat at a rather large table with only three places set near one of the ends. One at the head of the table, and two off on one side. Eli took the seat further away from the head of the table, while Nozomi took the one closer.

Within a minute Hitomi had returned, providing sushi with white rice. “I’m sorry if this isn’t very Japanese for you, but I thought if Eli was having one of her friends over I would at least try this.” she explained. “I used a rice cooker, is that okay? I know some do not approve of taking a shortcut but I hope you understand.”

“Thank you very much!” Nozomi agreed cheerfully, “I thank you for giving me so much consideration for a visit like this.”

With that, the food was served, first to Nozomi, then to Eli, then to the place Hitomi made for herself at the end of the table. No one ate yet, then Hitomi sat down, “What is it Japanese say when they are ready to eat? Ikadakimasu? Yes, that.” she said. Then reiterated, “Ikadakimasu!” Which was echoed by Nozomi and Eli.

At first, no one ate. _If Hitomi eats it, it is likely not drugged._ Nozomi thought. Eli looked rather tired, or rather, moderately drugged, and was not moving to take the first bite, _And maybe I went overboard with Eli, but better this than Hitomi discovering us._

“Are you not hungry?” Hitomi asked, her tone maintaining all of the pleasantness of the Japanese housewife she was playing the role of.

“It is not that, it is that I thought you should eat first. I know you are not from Japan, and so did not wish to offend your customs, so please, eat first then I will eat.” Nozomi offered.

Hitomi smiled pleasantly, “Oh, I assure you it would be fine for you to take the first bite, but if it would make you feel better, I will eat first.” Hitomi took her chopsticks and took a small bit of rice, making a show of fumbling the chopsticks a couple times in the process, after which Nozomi began eating, followed by Eli.

“Do you like Japan?” Nozomi asked, making a point to inflect her question at the end.

“Japan is a beautiful country, it’s just a shame my husband is always so busy with work and is never home. There is a certain cruelty to it for a woman like me. He is Japanese, so I try to live up to his expectations but I can never quite do it all the time at home. No matter what happens, I can’t stop being Russian entirely.” Hitomi explained, quietly, like it was a confession.

Eli simply continued to eat slowly, she was listening, but seemed content to let the two other women talk. Her hands weren’t shaking anymore, but the impact of the pill had made it slightly difficult for her to think.

“I think you are doing a wonderful job.” Nozomi continued, “I could never imagine living in another country with such different traditions, so I think you are doing wonderfully for someone who came here.”

“Thank you.” Hitomi replied. The three ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Hitomi broke the silence again. “Nozomi, how did you meet Eli?”

“I met her in my class!” Nozomi explained excitedly. “Elichi was sooo pretty and so cool and I knew I had to meet her. Then I showed her my cards and we got along so well after that!”

Eli nodded in agreement, but it was Hitomi who continued, “Eli likes cards? I did not know that.”

“They’re special cards, they provide advice and guidance, a lot of people use them I heard, but I’m the only person I know that has them.” Nozomi continued. “But Elichi liked it so much that I had to keep spending time with her. She really likes having parfaits with me. Then things continued and-“ then Nozomi stopped talking to Hitomi, turning around suddenly and embracing Eli. Eli took a second but did wrap her arms around Nozomi as well. Then a couple more seconds passed and Nozomi let go. “Sorry, sometimes I get carried away around her. I’m sorry I did that.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” Hitomi said with a smile. “I used to be a young girl. In Russia we never did anything like that but I hear it is more common in Japan. I’m just glad to know Eli is so close to someone.”

Nozomi then took her seat. “I’m so glad Elichi is close to me!” she continued. “I never felt this close to anyone, and it’s so exciting!”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Hitomi said. Then she smiled again, “What do you plan on doing after you graduate?”

“I haven’t thought much about that.” Nozomi admitted quietly. “I’m only an average student, so I don’t know what kinds of schools I can get into. Elichi is soooo intelligent though! She often tutors me before midterms, so in return I cook dinner for her and take care of her because school stresses even Elichi.”

“That is very kind of you, and yes, Eli has performed quite well in school.” Hitomi then looked at Eli, “Were you up too late last night?” she asked. Then she smiled again, “I think she’s so busy she just sleeps here, and sometimes not even comes by for that much because she’s so busy with you. I think it’s healthy for a young woman like her to spend time with a good friend.”

“I was up late.” Eli said quietly. “Sorry to ruin the dinner, but Nozomi is very special to me too. I think without her I would lose my mind.”  Her voice was sedate, without much emotion behind it, though Hitomi suggesting she was tired did offer some relief for Eli.

“Maybe I’ll be a housewife like you.” Nozomi offered excitedly. “Eli works so hard and I would want to make her as comfortable as possible at home.” Then Nozomi added quietly, “Sorry, I got carried away again.”

“Oh, you don’t want to be a housewife like me. You seem intelligent and enthusiastic. Have you ever considered international travel? Someone like you could do very well with some education.” Hitomi continued.

“I’ve travelled through Japan, but not outside of the country.” Nozomi explained. “Do you really think I would be good internationally?” she asked.

Hitomi smiled, “I know many people that would love someone bright like you. If you studied hard, maybe you and Eli could stay together and travel the world.”

Nozomi nodded enthusiastically, “Can I see you again in the future?” she asked, “To learn more?” then she looked over at Eli, “I think she’s tired. Would you rather I help you clean up or I’ll put Eli to bed and make sure she’s taken care of.”

“Go ahead, help your friend.” Hitomi said with a smile, “I envy the bond you two seem to have with each other, even if she was too tired to show most of it tonight.”

With that, Nozomi made a show of lifting Eli up and guiding her to the bedroom, which Eli pointed to. Soon after in the room Nozomi put Eli into bed and smiled, “Elichi was too tired, but that’s okay. I still think you’re great.” Eli’s response was a simple smile.

\----

Eventually, Nozomi left. A few minutes after she left Hitomi went to Eli’s bedroom, “Seriously, you were no help tonight, and I got more done in a couple hours than you managed in a year. Did you see that? I promise her a future with you and she lit up and wants to listen more.” The housewife persona had been completely abandoned. “You better stay close to her until she graduates, because I will need to see her much more often to do the job that you’re incapable of doing. The only reason you’re staying here is so I have an excuse to keep having her over.

With that Hitomi left, and then Eli fell asleep a little later, aware of what occurred, but having felt distant from the entire night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's been some buildup to the dinner. In some ways I feel it's so mundane the payoff isn't so great. At the same time, the mundane nature also serves to emphasize how mundane recruitment efforts can be sometimes, and how they're long term matters. I hope everyone enjoyed it.


	46. Chapter 46

The next morning, Eli woke up, having slept rather well the previous night. It was earlier than she usually woke up, but she felt refreshed. When she arrived in the student council room she saw Nozomi was already there. “Good morning.” Eli greeted.

“Good morning, Elichi!” Nozomi said brightly, she was already at her spot for the morning.

“I think I do find you acting like a schoolgirl more disturbing.” Eli concluded, but she did laugh a little with this. “Sorry about last night, I know I wasn’t much use, but I was so tired.”

“I should have acquired a smaller dose for Elichi.” Nozomi suggested. “Don’t worry, it was still a safe dose.”

“Don’t worry about it, it made Hitomi tolerable after you left.” Eli said as she sat down. “I could use a few more if you have them.”

“Seriously, no.” Nozomi said, her tone flat as she said it. “One, they’re highly addictive and dangerous if used regularly. Two, I have no real good way of getting more. Three, I only did it because it was an emergency and you didn’t have the training yet. Which we need to work on.”

“And how are you going to get me more training in dealing with her if you’re going to see her more often?” Eli asked.

“Well, there’s two good things with how Hitomi is doing this.” Nozomi began to explain. “The first is she’s chosen the role of someone who aspires to be a housewife. While that gives her a lot of freedom to give advice and be around when I want to be there, it also constrains her courses of action. The second is she has little interest in using force. If she wanted to drug or kidnap me she would have done it then when I would have no idea to expect it and she was serving food to serve as a vector for ingestion.”

“You’re really an optimist, aren’t you?” Eli asked, smiling as she did this.

Nozomi responded with a bright smile and a resumption of the tone of voice she used at school, “It’s important to look for the good things in life, Elichi!”

Eli shook her head, laughing some more, “Your ability to switch tones so easily really is disturbing.” Though Eli seemed less disturbed and more amused with the switch. “You have anything to drink at your place?”

“I got a hold of some soju.” Nozomi said in her flatter tone. Then she smiled again, “Maybe I should try, ‘Elichi, I have a special surprise at my place tonight, but don’t tell anyone we can’t afford to be caught!’” switching to the voice her classmates were more accustomed to.

“It’s strangely romantic to think you share your true voice with me.” Eli commented.

“And I see Elichi’s cute side.” Nozomi added, still in the student voice.

\----

After classes ended Eli walked to Nozomi’s apartment with the purple haired woman next to her. “So was there something specific Elichi wanted to do tonight?” asking in her exaggerated schoolgirl voice she used with Hitomi the night before. Then she went back to her flatter tone, “Did you have anything in mind other than a drink?” she asked.

“Let’s have a look at your map. Dealing with Christine sounds easy right now.” Eli answered.

“You want to do work tonight?” Nozomi asked.

“You did save me from Hitomi’s wrath for a while.” Eli said.

\----

After explaining the basic color scheme of the map to Eli, Nozomi concluded, “The green marker indicates places that are probably landing spots for Christine’s mini-sub. They’re on both the east and west coasts. Given she specializes in Russian equipment, it would make more sense that she is in the Sea of Japan, thus the west coast is probable.”

Eli nodded as she listened to Nozomi explain. “So what’s our next step?”

“Fieldwork.” Nozomi answered flatly. “We visit the sites, evaluate them, and see if we can find a way to keep an eye on them. We’ll want to confront her on ground we know better than she does, since the objective is to capture, not kill.”

“Why not call the police?” Eli asked.

Nozomi hesitated for a few seconds, “That answer is a bit complicated.” she replied.

“Complicated?” was the Russian woman’s reponse.

“Officially, as far as the Japanese government is concerned, no one is operating on Japanese soil.” Nozomi began. “Which makes life complicated if we were to be caught by a Japanese agency, including police. So we try to avoid it unless absolutely essential. Without the official ties, it would be difficult to have her arrested by the Japanese then turned over to our agents for questioning.”

“And unofficially?” was Eli’s next question.

“Unofficially there are people who know and we share intelligence, but actual material assistance is generally out, and both of our organizations are short on Japanese operatives. Which means-“ Nozomi paused for a couple seconds, “We have to do it ourselves.”

Eli sighed with this, “So much trouble.” Then Eli quickly added, “So does this mean you’ll teach me how to fight? I mean, that is part of the job and if I am to work with you I need to know how to do that, right?”

Then it was Nozomi’s turn to sigh, “There’s no time to teach you to fight. Your best way to win a fight is to not get in one.” she explained.

“Nothing, that’s it? If I get in a fight then what do I do?” Eli asked, pressing the question.

“Run.” was the only answer from Nozomi.

“And if that’s not possible?” was Eli’s next inquiry, not giving up this line of questioning.

“Fine.” Nozomi said, standing up. She went to an open section of the main room. “Stand here.” she said, indicating a place in the center of the room. Eli got up and went to the spot, and Nozomi continued, “Stand with your back foot perpendicular to your front one, which faces forward. This will ground you.”

“Okay.” Eli said, following the direction.

“Next, take your hand hold your palm directly outwards, and bring your fingers down from the first knuckle.” Nozomi continued.

Eli followed these instructions as well, “What does this do?”

“Then-” Nozomi paused with a smile, “you start with your hand at your side, and aim for the opponent’s jaw. Practice that. A great deal. It is the best move I can teach you if you absolutely must fight, since that will knock out most people.”

“That’s it?” Eli asked.

“Yeah. It’s called a palm strike. Start practicing.” Nozomi added. Eli responded by repeating the technique, with Nozomi providing corrections as she did so. The soju would have to wait for another night.


	47. Chapter 47

The next couple weeks were mostly uneventful, with days spent at Otonokizaka and most evenings spent at Nozomi’s apartment looking over maps and researching the sections of coastline marked in green. Eli sighed and spoke up, “Why does it have to be Hokkaido with all the good places to drop things off? Low traffic, several places to land and make deliveries, and way too much livestock.” she complained. “Please don’t tell me we will have to spend summer break in Hokkaido.”

Nozomi laughed with this, “The good news is I think we will not have to go there. Getting from Hokkaido to Honshu is really not that convenient, which means anything bought there would have to be sent somehow, which usually means watercraft, which negates most advantages of having it delivered there in the first place.” she explained.

“So what about here?” Eli asked, pointing to a section of green coast on the northwest coast of Honshu. She looked up from the laptop she was using. “The tourism promotional pictures do not look good, so they lack of budget, which suggests not many people go here.”

“That does look good.” Nozomi agreed. “We would stand out if there weren’t many other tourists, but like you wanted, we would be able to use a university student cover there and I doubt too many people would ask questions. Have any operations budget left after the weapon deliveries?” she asked.

“Are you saying I have to pay for it out of my operations budget?” Eli asked in a mock offended tone, trying to maintain a line between humor and seriousness. “And how am I going to justify the expenses?”

“Just say it’s like last year.” Nozomi suggested, “I need to have some equipment delivered. Your superiors will not ask too many questions about a relatively inexpensive trip to some remote tourism place to spend with me, but they would ask questions if you suddenly could provide requests for detailed reconnaissance equipment. So you get the place, I’ll bring the supplies.”

“Can you have some nice drinks delivered again?” Eli asked, her tone lower than the mock offense, this time she was asking for a concession.

“How did you know about that?” Nozomi asked, though she wasn’t particularly bothered by the question.

“Tens of thousands of Yen worth of alcohol suddenly showing up and you had no concern about it belonging to someone else? Now that I know you better it sounds like the kind of thing you would do.” Eli explained. “And then the pill, I recognized the one you gave me last summer from when you gave me the pill for Hitomi, they were the same.”

“Eli, I’m sor-“ Nozomi began, but Eli cut her off.

“It’s not that what you did was okay, but I understand. I never resorted to drugging people, but I understand its advantages.” Eli said, her voice no longer showed amusement or mockery in it. “Is this really what we agreed to?” she asked next.

“People do good things for bad reasons, and bad things for good reasons.” Nozomi replied. “It’s what we do, it’s who we are, we have to do questionable things every day. We lie to all of the people that surround us on a daily basis as a matter of survival. We manipulate other people because we have to.” Then Nozomi raised her voice a little louder than usual, “Don’t think you wouldn’t do it if you had to. A part of you enjoys it. You don’t like the consequences of what you have done, but a part of you liked it, a part of you found pleasure in it.”

“It’s not like that at all, I only did what I had to.” Eli said, quickly defending herself.

“You certainly enjoyed the rewards, and you certainly wanted to make sure you wouldn’t lose those rewards when you started working with me.” Nozomi continued, though her voice was lowered again, a calmness to it that Eli found concerning. “You want to complain about my actions? You want to argue that I was in the wrong? Fine. Yes, I did it, I gave you a drug to take that would amplify the impact of alcohol on you.”

“Do you regret doing it?” Eli asked, “Or if you had to do it all over again, would you?”

Nozomi fell silent for several seconds. “Yes.” she admitted.

“That sounds like you, anything for your work.” Eli continued. “Tell me, do you ever question your orders, do you ever wonder if you’re doing the right thing? Or are you so fanatical that you can justify anything if it gives you an operational advantage? I did a lot of bad things, but at least I finally got around to questioning what I did.”

“Did you hate your orders, or did you hate Hitomi?” was Nozomi’s only response.

“Answer my question.” Eli insisted.

“I am doing the right thing. Your superiors need to be stopped, and no one else is able to.” Nozomi answered.

“Where is the line?” Eli asked, “What is it you won’t do. Obviously you’ll manipulate others. Obviously you’ll drug them. I wouldn’t put extracting someone beyond you. Kill? Would you do that?”

“I have.” Nozomi confirmed, offering no explanation beyond that.

“I know you would fake a relationship for your objectives. Is this real?” Eli asked. “Do you really care for me, or am I just another asset to you?”

“I do care for you, I’m trying to be more open with you, I answered your questions because of that.” Nozomi replied. “It’s just hard to get close to anyone. I’m trying to be better, and I don’t expect you to forgive me for everything, but you’ve also seen me try and do the right thing with you too.”

“Either way, I still have to work with you.” Eli concluded, “I’m not forgiving you, but I also know we’re stuck with each other since if we separate everything will go badly for both of us. That’s the mature conclusion, isn’t it?”

“Is that what you want, to just work with me?” Nozomi asked, “Or do you want more than that?”

“You’re really unfair.” Eli said, but with that she pointed to another section of the coastline marked in green, “How about here?” she asked.

Nozomi let the matter drop, relieved at the respite from Eli’s questions, instead choosing to focus on the research ahead of them as well.


	48. Chapter 48

_Going from a relationship based on lies to one with more grounding in reality makes things difficult._ Nozomi reflected after Eli had left. It wasn’t that she had regrets, so much as it was a lament that things were easier when she could simply play out her role as a student with everyone around her. _Still, it isn’t all bad. It is sometimes nice to have someone working with you who knows._ Nozomi’s time with Eli had been turbulent. She had not expected Eli to confront her about her past actions again. _Close relationships have always been difficult._

\----

In school, it was her intelligence that had isolated her in her youth. It was often difficult to connect with others. She could maintain the superficial bonds of friendship with other girls in her class, but they were just that, superficial and unreliable.

“Do you always walk home alone?” Nozomi remembered Angie asking her one evening.

“Yes.” Nozomi answered. By the time Angie asked her this question, she could be well spoken in English and have nuance in her answers, but it was often easier to offer an unqualified agreement or disagreement.

“Walk with me to the station.” Angie said next. Nozomi nodded in agreement again. “I have seen your type before. You try not to stand out too much, but you can’t help it. You’re a smart girl, so it’s only natural you seek out other people like you only to find that you do not know any.” Then she smiled, “You will meet many more people like yourself soon enough.”

\----

_She was telling the truth._ Nozomi thought after remembering that conversation. _But no one really warns you what life is like when the only people you feel close to are operatives and spies._ _A couple years of training with other people who wanted this. More time with my old partners, who were also in the field. Does that make Eli the least like them that I have ever been with?_ Her thoughts stopped with that question. She would see Eli tomorrow and figure out what to say then.

\----

The next morning in the student council room Nozomi was the first to arrive. Eli entered a few minutes later. “Good morning, Elichi!” Nozomi offered as a greeting, then motioned with her hand for Eli to close the door. Once the door was closed and Eli walked towards her seat Nozomi began to speak, “I’m bad at this, and I’m not sure what to do, but I still have the soju.” Then she smiled, “Want to do something a little fun and sneak it into a karaoke room?” she asked.

Eli sighed, but took a seat. “I’m not entirely sure what to say to that. I know actual remorse from you is impossible, and I can’t help but think you’re missing what the issue is here. Can you at least promise to stop with manipulating me, drugging me, or whatever other things you consider justified to other people for your work?”

Nozomi didn’t say anything for several seconds. “I care for you, and I still need to teach you what you need to know in order to get through the next two years, but I told you I’ll do better because I do care about you and shouldn’t just expect you to accept things as occupational hazards.”

“I still think you’re missing the point, but apology accepted.” Eli said, she was slightly irritated, but she forced a smile through. “And karaoke isn’t normally something I like, but I’ll go with you. Don’t bring work with us for it.”

“Okay, I won’t bring any work with us tonight.” Nozomi agreed, then paused for a second before quickly adding, “Other than the lesson in smuggling!” smiling after this.

“Fine, we can have the smuggling lesson tonight, but that’s it.” Eli said in acceptance.

\----

After school the pair went to Nozomi’s apartment, where she took out a small backpack and placed the soju in it, along with a couple cups as well as some books. “Why the books?” Eli asked as Nozomi was adding them.

“Just in case someone sees inside, they will see the books. Smuggling in this case is less about sophistication and more about just not looking like you’re doing anything wrong so no one questions you. No one working at a karaoke bar is going to think much of a backpack, so it’s a good introduction to this kind of activity. I’ll do all the talking, all you have to do is hold the bag.” Nozomi explained, zipping up the bag and handing it to Eli. “Then we’ll have fun!” she added excitedly.

\----

The trip through the subway was relatively unexciting. Eli held onto the bag. Nozomi kept up casual conversation with her, helping to keep her thoughts from returning to what the contents of the bag were. It really wasn’t hard, Eli realized, _It’s just a bag._ Eli kept reminding herself whenever she thought of what she was doing.

Soon enough the pair were leaving the subway. They entered a building and Nozomi went to pay for a room. No one seemed to mind Eli, who did her best to watch Nozomi hand over the requisite payment. Less than a minute later, Nozomi was motioning for Eli to follow her.

The room was large enough just for the two of them. Once the door was closed Nozomi smiled, “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” she asked, cheerfully enough.

Eli put the bag down. “I expected there to be more tension, but it was really boring.”

“It’s usually like that. Just pretend it’s nothing bad and no one will question you.” Nozomi explained, taking the bag from Eli and opening it, placing the cups and soju on a table next to the couch the room contained. “Now, we drink, then sing! Hold your cup with both hands, I know they aren’t ideal, but we will manage.” Eli did, and Nozomi took the soju and started pouring for Eli. “I think this is how the proper way goes, never pour your own drink!” she declared. After that was done she put the bottle down and took hold of her cup, “Now your turn to pour.” Which Eli did.

Then the two started drinking, the first drink was easy enough, they were both used to drinking with each other by now. “We’re alone, can we talk in Russian for once?” Eli asked, having switched to her native language to make the request.

Nozomi smiled, “Sure.” she agreed, switching to speaking Russian as well. “We’re alone and if anyone asks I’ll just tell them I’m practicing with you. Your accent is eastern.” she observed.

“And yours is western.” Eli commented. “I am not surprised, given where you lived.”

“There is something wrong with a city where the sun is out all day for a few months then never out for a few more.” Nozomi replied.

The drinking continued for some time, while singing did not. The conversation was mostly casual until Eli said, “So here are two foreign women pretending to be Japanese girls hiding in a karaoke booth with a Korean drink. We’re hopeless.”

“I’m not foreign.” Nozomi objected quietly.

“You are, in some ways.” Eli insisted. “You practice Tarot. In class I see your face. I see the face that doesn’t care about the shoguns, but brightens at the glory of Greece and Rome. The myths, the legacy.”

“And if you think of me as not Japanese it’s easier for you, isn’t it?” Nozomi asked. “05091905.” she then added, saying each digit one at a time. “Day. Month. Year. Gregorian calendar. Your training taught you something about Japanese that you didn’t like.”

“You remembered.” Eli said, now it was her turn to be quiet.

“The Russian defeat by the hands of Japanese. A reminder that what you were doing wasn’t evil.” Nozomi continued. “Was it easier? Telling yourself your targets were Japanese? That they deserved it?”

Eli nodded at this, offering no other response.

“It’s not that I approve, but I understand.” Nozomi said, offering a small smile at this. “But if you will accept some of my flaws, I can accept this about you. I know a relationship is new to both of us, but I think part of it means accepting that our relationship will be flawed, and we can make it better over time. I love Elichi. I love the flawed Elichi. Just like you love me even with my flaws.”

Eli started crying quietly. “Why is it always you?” she asked quietly. “You’re the only one who wants to understand me.”

Nozomi embraced Eli, not saying another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter took a little longer than usual. I had to rewrite it several times as I struggled with some of its content. Sometimes it's difficult to write both of these characters as deeply flawed individuals while conveying that their flaws, even their significant ones, don't necessarily make them horrible people beyond redemption. Even when those flaws are particularly ugly. This flaw has been a trait of Eli's since the beginning, but it was mostly subtle until now when it has been brought out into the open and explicitly acknowledged.


	49. Chapter 49

Sasaki went over Nozomi’s latest report. He sighed and picked up his phone.

“Go ahead Sasaki.” the voice on the other end answered.

“Do you ever tell this girl no?” Sasaki asked, rather irritated. “You’re authorizing explosives for her? Her assignment is a high school. Her cover is blown by a Russian girl and you not only fail to abort the operation, you continue to let her do whatever she wants!”

“She is qualified, Sasaki. Sergei spoke well of his time working with her, so it is natural I trust her. He said her counterintelligence instincts are very good.” the old man explained.

“Didn’t your first meeting with him end up with him pointing a gun in your face?” Sasaki asked, incredulous.

The old man laughed, “You heard that story too? Sergei and I tell jokes about it when we see each other now.”

\----

“Elichi, I’m so excited for summer, did you arrange for a place for us to stay again?” Nozomi asked Eli in the student council room, using the tone she normally reserved for when around the other students.

“Of course I did.” Eli replied, “Another building to ourselves, I thought it would be strange if we only had a room together this time. The first floor will have meals and amenities and staff this time, they will have instructions to avoid the second floor.”

“Elichi won’t have to worry about her grades, will she?” Nozomi asked, but she smiled and her tone was more teasing than a serious question.

“I’ve been in Japanese high schools for seven years, there’s a reason I’m a top student.” Eli replied flatly, but then she smiled too, “I’m good for something, right?”

“Elichi is good for many things!” Nozomi insisted.

Eli laughed, “Using that voice when we’re alone, I’m starting to find it too funny.”

\----

Exams came and went. Eli scored at the top of her class, while Nozomi maintained her slightly above average standing. With that done, Eli and Nozomi left for their summer trip. The train ride was uneventful and mostly quiet. The pair talking about the exams and plans for the next week with easy access to a beach and the ocean.

On arrival, they looked at the place they were staying. “Nicest place you could get?” Nozomi asked Eli as she looked at the two story building, large enough to accommodate several people instead of just them.

“I’m supposed to be a rich girl.” Eli replied with a smile, “And it would appear terribly rude if I found some place that did not meet the exacting standards I am supposed to have. Especially in an unpopular place like this. I am sure the manager here will be quite happy we bought all the rooms for a week.

\----

One room on the second floor was set up to be the bedroom, with a couple of bedrolls set up for Nozomi and Eli. More interesting was the room next to it, which the two opened and found a large number of boxes and packages. “Our supplies I had sent.” Nozomi said with a smile.

“You just had them sent right here?” Eli asked, “Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“A little, but if you’re paying as much money as you are for the entire place the staff is likely to not ask questions.” Nozomi explained. Then she looked in one of the boxes, Eli followed along.

“What is that?” Eli asked, looking and seeing small rectangles of white solid masses stacked next to each other.

Nozomi smiled, “A surprise in case things get exciting, it’s a secret so don’t tell anyone, okay?” she sounded cheerful while saying it, but in her own voice, not the one she used for all the other students at Otonokizaka. “I also brought some standard equipment we might need, so if you need something just let me know so I can get it for you.”

“Please tell me equipment includes vodka.” Eli added, hopeful.

“We are university students for our covers here, so there should be no problem with us having possession of some, so I made sure we brought plenty.” Nozomi replied.

\----

The next day Nozomi and Eli went to the beach. Nozomi wore a pink and purple two piece swimsuit, with the lower piece having a small skirt to go with it, while Eli wore an orange bikini.

“At least I do not have to explain to you why bringing a school swimsuit was a bad idea for our cover.” Nozomi said, amused, as the two began to walk along the beach.

“I’m supposed to have money, and thus more options than a school swimsuit. Besides, I look terrible in them as I’ve learned from other schools.” Eli answered.

“Oh, do they not show Elichi’s wonderful body off?” Nozomi asked in a teasing manner, taking a step behind Eli and reaching in front of her to grab her breasts.

Eli immediately blushed, “What if somebody sees us?” she asked nervously.

Nozomi then let go and took Eli by the shoulders, turning her around and kissing her. It was a quick kiss on the lips. “No one else will be able to see us right now. Isn’t this what Elichi wanted? A more physical relationship, not just holding hands and working together?”

“Well, yes.” Eli admitted. “It just surprises me when you do anything.” Then Eli looked at Nozomi’s eyes and asked, “Do you, you know, prefer women?” she asked.

“It’s not something I thought about.” Nozomi replied, in an almost offhand manner. “I love who I love is how I think of it. I happen to love you, and you reciprocated, so is there really more to understand?” she asked.

“You make it sound so easy.” Eli said quietly after several seconds.

“I have travelled.” Nozomi added. “It brings some perspective. When I was younger, I had my own ideas about what love meant, and it is true I have little experience with romantic love, but I did gain experience with other kinds of love. They are not the same, but when you start realizing there are different kinds of love, you can appreciate others regardless of what your own personal preferences are. Love is a matter for the individuals involved, I think.”

“I never considered you thought so much about something like this.” Eli admitted.

“Love is dangerous in this line of work, but it is also what grounds us. Without it most of us would end up like Hitomi.” Nozomi explained. “So it is important to have others in your life to care about. You never cared until you experienced feelings of love for me, right?”

Eli nodded at first, not saying anything for a few seconds. “Have you loved others before?”

“I am new to romantic love with you, but I am not new to love itself as an idea.” Nozomi replied.

“I love you too, Nozomi.” Eli said quietly, but with a small smile.

With that the two continued their walk along the beach.


	50. Chapter 50

Nozomi was nervous. She had just flown into Russia for her first assignment, having completed training. The apartment she was approaching looked nice from the outside, a building constructed within the past ten years. She checked a piece of paper, then she looked at the Cyrillic outside of the apartment again. Confirming they were the same, she knocked on the door three times. Then she waited. Her anxiety was such that she was unsure how long she waited, whether it was fifteen seconds or fifteen minutes, but the door was opened by a Russian man thirty years her senior.

“You are Sergei. I am your support.” the young woman managed in Russian. _It would be easier if I could just address him in Japanese._ she lamented in her thoughts.

“Come in, come in.” the older man replied. Nozomi did so, and the man shut the door behind them, walking deeper into the apartment. It was spacious, made for those who had acquired modest wealth in the past decade. Then he turned around, facing Nozomi, clearly irritated. “I asked for support. And they gave me a fucking little Japanese girl?”

“Sir, I-“ Nozomi began quietly, but was quickly cut off by the older man.

“Who came up with this idea of a prank?” he complained, his speech fast enough Nozomi had trouble keeping up with his Russian. “Tell me, Japanese girl, what exactly is it that you do?”

“Counterintelligence.” Nozomi answered quietly. Then she looked up at the Russian man, “I was also told to deliver a message. He said he was an old friend of yours.” She paused, nervous as the next words came out of her mouth, “Please do not point a gun at this one and send her back too.”

Sergei stared at Nozomi as she delivered her message. After several seconds muttering, “That bastard. I swear I point a gun at someone and they remember it forever. I even turned him in at the embassy and treated him well. Back when spies were civilized and had rules.” Then he sighed, “Fine, I’m stuck with a little Japanese girl. What’s your legend?” he asked in a more even tone. Still clearly unhappy, but at least the worst of it was over.

“Alcoholism treatment specialist.” Nozomi replied, still quiet.

“Damn him. Using something so stereotypical about Russians. Seriously, get used to it, Russia specialists get treated like shit because there’s way too few of us to get much done.” Sergei continued with his griping.

\----

The next couple months were difficult for Nozomi. Between a language barrier and a partner that treated her like a child Nozomi often struggled with her tasks. _He’s good at his work._ she had to admit about her partner several times, marveling at how tasks she found impossible were made easier with something in his constant lectures to her about tradecraft.

One night she entered his apartment again. “Have a drink with me!” he said. “If you want treated like an adult, at least have a drink with me.”

“My cover is an alcohol abuse counselor, shouldn’t I abstain?” Nozomi asked.

“It’s fine. Besides, you need to get used to drinking eventually. Better to do it with me than learn yourself and have too much.” Sergei insisted. “It’s vodka.” he explained as he poured a couple glasses. “Drink.” he commanded.

Nozomi looked at the glass, picking it up and taking a sip. Nozomi’s face grimaced as she thought it tasted horrible, but she finally swallowed it. “People drink this?” she asked incredulously. “This is what I’m helping people with?”

“Actually what your patients drink is far worse than this. Some of them filter alcohol out from industrial chemicals to drink it. This? This is at least proper vodka meant for human consumption.” Sergei replied. “You aren’t being paid to be good at that job, you’re being paid to be my support.” he emphasized.

Nozomi did take more drinks. It hit her quite suddenly about a half hour later, when she felt relaxed and dizzy. She stared intently at the bottle, smiling and occasionally giggling. She went to take another drink from her cup but saw her partner move the cup away from her before she could get to it. “You have had enough for tonight.” He declared.

“Aww!” Nozomi said in complaint, “But grumpy old man, why don’t you ever want to have fun? It’s always work with you!” in a light tone, smiling as she said it.

“You don’t survive thirty years in this field like I have by having reckless fun.” the older man replied. “But it’s okay for you to have some controlled fun. Besides, I’d rather you drink like an idiot with me than do it somewhere you’ll say something you shouldn’t.”

“So, grumpy old man? Why work for us?” Nozomi asked suddenly. The inebriation removed the filter as she asked a question she was curious about, but never had the courage to ask in the previous two months.

The older man didn’t answer for a minute. Nozomi started to become anxious as she realized what exactly she had just asked him. “People in this world are motivated by four things: Money, ideology, conscience, ego. Ten years ago I was approached. I could have had all the money I needed and could have lived a life where all I had to do was keep doing the work I was for the KGB. It would have been easy too, they wanted Japan specialists like me so bad back then. That old bastard that sent you to me said I set their plans back at least five years.”

“So why not? I mean, if you were so valuable, why do you let yourself be told what to do and ran dry here where we just keep losing?” Nozomi asked, another question she had that indicated she was cogent enough to think, but impaired enough to ask such a question.

“If your home were taken over by foreigners, would you just take their money and do what you’re told?” Sergei asked. “I’m not going to tell you I’m pure, or that my country is pure, or that a lot of people here weren’t desperate and subordinated themselves to foreigners just to get by, but I have capabilities to stop them from taking my country from me.” The next words out of Sergei’s mouth surprised Nozomi, not just because of their content, but because the older man switched to Japanese, “Little Japanese girl. Know that if we fail here they will go to Japan next. The Russian Far East has plenty of people that look Japanese and who would kill for a chance to live well in Japan. Work hard, little Japanese girl, and pray you don’t have to operate in your homeland.”

"So how do you live in such a nice place right now?" Nozomi asked next.

"I blackmailed an oligarch, but that's a story for another day." Sergei replied with the hint of a smile.

\----

With that memory, Nozomi woke up, seeing Eli sleeping next to her. Nozomi sat up and looked at her Russian girlfriend, a couple tears coming out of her eyes that she fought back. She took out her phone, sending out a message, <Call me, I need help with an op.>

Then Nozomi left the room her and Eli were sleeping in as the phone rang, answering it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know chapters that heavily emphasize the previous generations of operatives aren't as popular, because this is fundamentally a NozoEli story. At the same time, I find writing about them provides context for the world they inhabit and how the main relationship is impacted.
> 
> Secondly, a major difference between Nozomi and Eli in this story is a matter of parental roles and role models. Both Nozomi and Eli are characters that felt weak enough ties to their biological families to leave them for the life they currently lead. Both of them also have an older figure in their life that serves in some kind of parental capacity. Additionally, both of the characters that fill the parental role are Russian trained operatives. The core difference is that while both in the parental role for Nozomi and Eli are flawed, they fulfilled very different roles. Eli has the abusive Hitomi, where Nozomi has the flawed, but mostly positive role model in Sergei.


	51. Chapter 51

The next couple days, for Eli, felt like almost ordinary days at the beach on a summer break. The days would be filled with enjoyable beach activities, the concession to Nozomi’s work meaning that these activities took place at strategic locations she wanted to scout, but she had done her best to try and assure that Eli was enjoying herself. Nights involved a prepared dinner and a couple drinks.

As the two were preparing their bedrolls, Nozomi spoke up, “Would Elichi like to put our bedrolls together tonight?” she offered with a smile.

“Since when did you offer to do anything like that?” Eli asked, skeptical, but she did move her bedroll closer to Nozomi’s.

“Tomorrow is the big day, I thought Elichi would feel better sleeping close to me.” Nozomi offered. “I also found a larger blanket so we can be underneath the same one if Elichi would like!”

“I still find this kind of kindness from you disturbing at times.” Eli admitted.

Nozomi paused for a couple seconds and added, “Tomorrow could be dangerous, I would not want to have any more regrets concerning Elichi than I already do.”

“It’s just like you to phrase it like that.” Eli said, but then she smiled, “But we can do it, maybe it will help me feel better too.” Then Eli looked at Nozomi, not saying anything for several seconds. “So, do we keep our clothes on?” she asked quietly.

“What makes you ask a question like that?” Nozomi asked, looking at Eli as well, an awkward silence took place between the two of them.

“Well, I mean, if we’re sleeping together, does that mean something? If you’re so worried about tomorrow are you going to want to do more?” Eli asked, her voice still quiet.

“I love Elichi, and I am worried about you tomorrow, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Nozomi replied. “I know it has been a long time for us, but I am not sure we are ready for that kind of commitment yet.”

“Have you, ever before?” Eli asked, her voice still quiet.

“I think it would be best if we did not compare ourselves to others.” Nozomi said, lying down on the bedroll, having not undressed for this. Eli joined her a few seconds later.

\----

The next day the two women woke up. Eli put on her orange bikini again. Nozomi hadn’t dressed yet. “Elichi, you remember the plan, right?” she asked.

“I remember.” Eli replied.

“This is dangerous, if you do not want to do this, I will not make you, you can stop now and I’ll do this myself.” Nozomi offered.

“We both know the plan needs two people.” Eli said firmly. “I’m going.”

\----

Eli was nervous, watching from afar. Nozomi’s calculation that Christine would use this beach was correct, as Eli watched another arms sale. It seemed pretty typical so far, the clients inspected a couple crates, before loading them. Eli felt her chest thump whenever she thought she was about to be detected, but it seemed the men were more interested in leaving than inspecting the area for someone like her.

Then right before the men drove off, having loaded the merchandise, she felt her chest in pain again. Her anxiety had reached its peak. This was the moment, right before the buyers left, but before Christine could return to the mini-sub she had been using. She walked out from her hiding spot, waving to Christine, “Hello!” she said enthusiastically. _She’s not armed herself, is she?_ Eli asked herself nervously, noticing the woman was wearing a tailored suit with plenty of places to hide a weapon.

Christine turned to look at Eli. The next few seconds felt like an eternity to Eli. If Christine reacted violently, there was no plan other than to hope her shots did not connect. If she ignored her, there was no backup plan for that either, and it would be Nozomi that would be in danger. The myriad possibilities ran through Eli’s mind as she waited for a reaction from Christine.

The Caucasian woman with curly blonde hair smile brightly, “Hello!” she said in return. “Did you get lost?”

Eli breathed a visible sigh of relief as she realized Christine wanted to treat this as a chance encounter. “I was just on a walk, that’s all! How are you?” she asked, trying her best to force cheerfulness even as she was terrified.

“It’s a beautiful beach, isn’t it?” Christine said with a smile. “I hope you enjoy walking it, I was about to leave myself, so enjoy!” As she turned to leave.

Eli panicked, realizing she had to stop Christine from leaving, but not knowing what else to do, ran up to the woman, taking her by the hand, “I’m sorry but I’m so scared! I think I’m lost can you help me?”

Christine turned to face Eli, looking her over. “Did you walk too far?” she asked.

Eli panicked, realizing she was out of words for Christine, managing a nod.

Then they both heard a splash from the water, the sound of someone exiting. A woman in a full wetsuit complete with a breathing apparatus and oxygen tank. Eli smiled, relieved for a moment, but Christine turned to look at the source of the sound as well.

The woman who just left the water took off the mask obscuring her face, revealing herself as Nozomi, who then took a small device with a button out of a sealed bag and into her hand.

Christine watched as Nozomi left the water and took out the small device. Her facial features showed a momentary shock, but she collected herself quickly. Her reply consisted of one word, “Natsuko?” The surprise still evident in her tone.

Nozomi suddenly felt dread. She looked at Christine and began to feel terror at the realizing that she had been identified by her actual name. Nozomi’s mind played the voice of Christine’s greeting in her several times over as the fear increased. She had the device with the button, the radio detonator that was supposed to give her an easy victory over Christine, but suddenly she was frozen. Then, several seconds later, she replied, “Angie?” she asked, having finally placed the voice in her mind. _She looks so different now._ was all Nozomi could manage to think, but the voice she was certain of, years of conversations made sure of that.


	52. Chapter 52

Time froze for Nozomi, she looked at Angie as she identified her. Her finger was still ready to hit the radio detonator, but it didn’t move. Angie’s movements were much faster, grabbing Eli by her shoulders, bringing her close, and delivering a knee strike to Eli’s abdomen, causing the Russian woman to fall over in pain.

Nozomi started to run towards Eli, but was slowed down by the oxygen tank she still had on her back, then was stopped as she watched Angie draw a small pistol and point it down towards Eli on the ground.

Then Angie smiled brightly and began speaking in English, “Natsuko! I missed you so much! I know it’s been eight years but you’ve grown! I’m proud of you!” Nozomi was unnerved by Angie’s enthusiasm, she kept trying to look for words, but couldn’t find anything to say. Instead Angie continued, “But seriously, what is this, something Russian?” she asked, looking at Eli. “I’m really disappointed, didn’t they teach you the Russians are the bad guys in training? Has somebody gone native?”

It was then Nozomi finally found some words, “Don’t. Hurt. Her.” The only words she could manage, each punctuated for emphasis. Then she held up the detonator.

“Russians really are more fun. Their operations are so exciting!” Angie exclaimed, her enthusiasm not abating. “So I really don’t blame you. If I got stuck in another school again, I don’t know what I’d do!”

Eli managed to open her eyes, her mastery of English was minimal, which meant she caught the occasional word, but only understood the conversation as between a woman holding her a gunpoint with boundless glee and enthusiasm and Nozomi, who would use a minimum of words.

“But let’s see, what’s the situation?” Angie asked rhetorically. “I have your pet Russian at gunpoint, and you have a detonator connected to enough explosives that it might be able to kill all three of us at this distance. It’s invigorating!” she declared. “The thrill of facing your former mentor, a part of you has to like it!”

“Stop.” Nozomi said emphatically, though it was clear by now rage had infected her tone. “This isn’t some sick game for me, and that’s not some pet you’re holding as your hostage. Why spend years of your life recruiting people then work for the enemy?”

Angie laughed as Nozomi asked her question, her pistol remaining pointed towards Eli. “Oh, you’re distracting me, maybe if my arm moves a bit much, she could make a move to break away and the shot would go awry! Is that what you’re thinking?” then another smile, “I don’t think of it as working for the enemy, I think of it as entrepreneurship! I bribed some Russian military, got some weapons, and sold them! Sometimes the Russians give me money, sometimes it’s other people. So much more fun. I should tell you the story of how I hid an attack helicopter from some inspectors sometime!”

“Hurt Elichi and we all die.” Nozomi proclaimed, switching to Japanese and holding out the detonator. “How much C4 did I plant around here?” Nozomi asked quickly, “You don’t know and have no way of finding out. Maybe this is a bluff, maybe I am right, but if this is all a thrill to you then walk away and live.”

Angie laughed as Nozomi made her threat, “Natsuko, such a daring gambit!” She still spoke in English, but it was quite clear she understood Nozomi’s words. Then she took a moment to look down at Eli, then at Nozomi, switching to Japanese, “Do you love her, Natsuko?” she asked. “Or is she just some surrogate for the love a sixteen year old girl could never get herself? The little girl that was too scared to ask her crush out?” Then she grinned, quite pleased with herself, “I know all of your weaknesses, but what do you know about me?”

Nozomi paused for a second, but even as her arm holding the detonator was shaking, her voice had more confidence. Then she started speaking Russian, “Eli, it will be okay.” Eli looked at Nozomi, nodding her head weakly in response.

“Oh, trying to speak in Russian hoping I didn’t know any, Natsuko?” Angie asked, her tone taunting. “Did you think I was bad with languages because we only spoke in English?”

Then Nozomi smiled, continuing in Russian, “So you do understand. That is fine. You can’t win today, Angie. The woman I love is Russian. The man who is like a father to me is Russian. If the woman I love and my father want to, they can think of me as Russian, and that means you’re alone and against three of us today. I’m linked to both of them by bonds of love, who do you have, Angie? You’re alone, I’m not.”

“I only see two of you here, and I’m pretty sure you’re too encumbered by that tank and your lover here is out for now.” Angie pointed out. Then Angie’s eyes opened and she suddenly asked loudly, “What do you mean there’s been a bombing in Vladivostok and the ship is being interdicted?” clearly alarmed by a message only she could hear.

“Eli, now!” Nozomi said, and in Angie’s moment of distraction Eli managed to stand herself back up, facing Angie. Then Nozomi shed her oxygen tank, still holding out the detonator. Then she reiterated to Angie, “I told you, three. Father would never want to let me down.”

Angie smiled. She still held her gun out, “I’ll trade you the gun for the detonator.” she said to Nozomi.

Nozomi walked towards Angie with the detonator, “Deal.” she agreed.

After the two traded their weapons of choice for the encounter, Angie said, “Well played, Natsuko, but we both know this isn’t over.”

“I know.” Nozomi replied watching Angie reenter her sub.

After the sub departed Nozomi looked down at the ground, “Why?” she asked quietly.

Eli embraced Nozomi, “I love you, Nozomi Toujou.” This first time was in Russian. Then Eli switched to a halting English, “I love Nozomi Toujou.” Then a third time, in Japanese, “No matter what language, what nationality, I love you, Nozomi Toujou.”

After the third time, Nozomi openly wept.


	53. Chapter 53

Getting Nozomi back to their room was not difficult itself, rather, it was the way Nozomi acted as she followed Eli back. Her movements were very mechanical, she didn’t say anything, and when Eli looked at Nozomi’s eyes, she could only discern they were staring ahead in the distance in an unfocused manner.

“Nozomi?” Eli would ask, to which the other woman would respond by looking at Eli for a second before her eyes started staring off into the distance again. After a couple attempts to converse with Nozomi on the walk back, Eli eventually gave up, instead deciding on making sure Nozomi made it back to the room rather than anything to make her feel better at the moment.

Once they returned to their room, Nozomi removed the wetsuit, leaving it on the ground, and went to lie on her half of the bedroll, placing the cover over her body. Eli watched Nozomi on her bedroll. She thought of addressing her again, but did not know what to say to elicit a response of some kind. Instead, she sat near the door of the room, watching over the Japanese woman.

Nozomi didn’t close her eyes or do anything to try to sleep. Eli, after several minutes of silence broke it by saying, “Nozomi, I will be here when you are ready.” Nozomi still didn’t respond.

Finally, after another half hour of silence, Nozomi spoke, “Are you okay, Eli? I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.” Her voice was quiet, the only reason Eli was able to hear was since the entire rest of the room was silent as well.

“You’re safe, Nozomi.” Eli said, standing up and walking over to Nozomi, and sitting next to where her head was. “I am safe. I will keep you safe.” Eli’s own voice was quiet as well.

“Thank you.” Nozomi replied, her voice not rising above that of a whisper. Eli then took her hand and starting brushing it against the part of Nozomi’s hair that was exposed. “Don’t tell anyone about today.” she then said. “We need to keep it a secret for now.”

“I won’t tell anyone.” Eli assured Nozomi. “We have a couple days before we have to go home.” Then Eli looked at some of the packed luggage, “Can I get you anything?” she asked. “Your cards, perhaps?” A moment after Eli suggested the cards Eli suddenly added, panicked, “I don’t have to get you those right now.”

“You mean well.” Nozomi said, “But I do not want to look at the cards right now. I looked up to her. She would always give me advice with a smile and tell me better days were ahead when I was alone. I don’t know if you know this, but it’s said Tarot decks are imbued with the spirit of their previous users. So whenever I used them, I thought of her guiding me.” With saying this tears began to well up in Nozomi’s eyes again.

“Sorry, I’m sorry Nozomi!” Eli said excitedly. Then she stopped herself, resuming brushing her hand against Nozomi’s hair.

“It feels nice.” Nozomi said quietly.

“I’m glad.” Eli responded. Then the two fell back into silence. “It’s about time for dinner, will you be okay if I go get both of us food to bring up here?” she asked.

Nozomi responded with a weak nod.

When Eli left, Nozomi went to her belongings and took out her Tarot deck. She started looking through some of the cards slowly, not really thinking about them. When Eli came back with food she kept the cards in hand, looking in Eli’s direction.

“You should eat, Nozomi.” Eli suggested as she brought the food in. Then she asked, “Do you want something to cover yourself?”

“No. It’s fine.” Nozomi replied, her tone apathetic. She did put the cards down to sit to eat the food Eli had brought in. The two ate in silence, Nozomi taking food and placing in her mouth, then chewing in a very mechanical manner, like she didn’t bother to taste the food, or even what exactly it was she was eating.

After dinner Nozomi continued to sit where she ate. Then in the pile of her belongings her phone vibrated. She started to stand up to get the phone but Eli smiled and said, “I will get it for you.”

“Okay.” Nozomi agreed. A few seconds later Nozomi had the phone in her hand, then she read the message. “We’re on our own.” she announced to Eli. “This might be impossible now.”

“What do you mean ‘on our own?’” Eli asked.

“We only survived today because I asked father for support and he succeeded, but he just sent a message saying he will have to hide for some time and will not be able to assist further. We can’t report this to my superiors or they will send me somewhere else. We’re alone.” Nozomi concluded.

“You are not alone, Nozomi.” Eli insisted, “Last year I promised to protect you, and I said that not knowing who you really were, but I meant it. So you aren’t alone because you have me. I know I’m not as skilled as others you could ask for help, but you’re teaching me, and I’m learning, and I’ll continue to learn because then we will be able to protect each other. You’re Nozomi Toujou, the person who reached out to me when I had given up myself.”

“Even when I hurt you?” Nozomi asked. “I know I hurt you many times before now.” her voice was still quiet, but she looked up at Eli and focused her eyes on the other woman’s face.

“We have both hurt those we cared about because we thought it was our duty and the only thing we could do.” Eli answered. “It’s not that what we have done in the past was ever acceptable, but the Nozomi Toujou I know is someone who wants to do what is right and connect with others and love them.”

Nozomi then smiled, it was small, but present. “Maybe you will understand.” she said, then said, “I never needed a friend like I do now.” in English.

Eli smiled in return, “I understand. Not because I understand English well at all, but because you knew I would know that English sentence.” Then a pause and she added, “Don’t worry, I won’t walk away from you, Nozomichi.” Then Eli laughed a little and added, “No, you are the only one that can say someone’s name like that.”

Nozomi laughed a little as well, “You understand me.” she said. It wasn’t that her spirits were immediately lifted, but from then on into the rest of the evening she could at least have a conversation with the woman she loved.


	54. Chapter 54

The last two days of the summer break were quiet for Nozomi and Eli. They would go out in the morning, return for lunch, go out again for the afternoon, have dinner, then spend the evening together in their room. Eli did not bring up anything relating to their work, and Nozomi did not object.

The morning of their departure started simple enough, with the packing of bags. Once they left to walk to the train station, Nozomi finally spoke up, “I had fun this trip, didn’t you, Elichi?” her voice full of the enthusiasm she normally reserved for the other Otonokizaka students.

“I’m glad we went on this trip.” Eli said slowly, looking over at the other woman. She felt her face turn to a momentary wince, but managed to quickly change it to a forced smile.

“It was really wonderful!” Nozomi continued, “You got to meet one of my old friends too, wasn’t that great?” The enthusiasm continued unabated.

Eli simply smiled and replied, “I did, didn’t I?” not offering much in the way of objection. Though Eli was growing concerned. That concern continued to grow as Nozomi had gone from being quiet the day before to being full of enthusiasm today.

The conversation continued like that for most of the walk to the train station. Nozomi’s outward enthusiasm for everything was unabated with Eli offering enough of a response for Nozomi to continue speaking. By the time they were on the train, Eli knew she was right to be concerned about her friend. _It’s just like when she met Hitomi._ she realized soon enough.

The train was empty except for Nozomi and Eli, which Nozomi took as an invitation to keep talking. After the train started moving Eli’s sharp voice, the voice often reserved for when she was delivering a final decision as the student council president, spoke, “Nozomi. Stop.”

Nozomi was stopped in the middle of a thought, “Is something wrong, Elichi?” She spoke it with the tone of innocence, like she didn’t know the answer to the question herself.

“You’re acting like nothing is wrong. You just learned one person important to you is one of the people you are working against, and another person important to you has disappeared for now.” Eli began. The tone of the president was directed at other students usually, not Nozomi. “I know what you are doing You’re trying to protect me by acting like everything is fine so I won’t worry about you. I have to worry about you, I know you, I love you, and I know you’re in pain right now.”

Nozomi looked over at Eli, she began to smile and started to speak in her enthusiastic tone again, but before she finished the first syllable she stopped, easily noticing Eli’s glare as she began to speak. “But, Elichi-“ she began, much quieter now, “I worry about you.”

“I know you’re trying to do the right thing.” Eli replied, her tone softer now. “You want to protect someone you care about, even if it hurts you. Nozomi-“ Eli said, wrapping an arm around Nozomi, “I know you’re used to relying only on those senior to you. You talk about the people in your past very highly because they were so experienced. I know I’m less experienced than you in many ways, but I want you to be able to rely on me. You didn’t even tell me about the last part of your plan for Angie, instead keeping it a secret between you and your former partner.” Eli then paused and then asked, holding back a couple tears, “Why won’t you rely on me?” she asked.

“Elichi is special to me, and I would not want to hurt the person I care about.” Nozomi said, her tone quiet now. “If a senior was supporting me, I could trust even if something went wrong they would manage somehow. If something went wrong with you I could not be so sure.”

“But didn’t your seniors trust you to support them when you were inexperienced?” Eli asked. The question was direct and pointed, but Eli kept her softened tone as she asked it.

“But I had proper training.” Nozomi said quickly. “I don’t mean to say you’re not good at anything, but I’ve only taught you a little and so am unsure of your skills.”

“Nozomi. I bribed Yakuza with money from an organization I am opposing by myself. I came up with a plan so one day I can be done with them and through with Hitomi. I know I don’t have as much experience as you, but I want you to trust me enough to assist you without being kept in the dark as to what the plan really is.” Eli said, then she pulled Nozomi in closer to her. Nozomi didn’t object, lying her head on Eli’s shoulder. “I’m… I’m not angry, just… you aren’t alone, and I wish you’d acknowledge that I am more than just some ancillary of yours, but someone who can actively help you if you would allow me to.”

Nozomi didn’t say anything right away, instead falling silent. For some time, the two just rode the train quietly home. Near the destination Nozomi finally spoke up again, “The next lesson is for you to teach me something.” It was clear Nozomi was tired, but she seemed to show some signs of relief in her speech.

Eli smiled at this response, “Okay.” she agreed, then she added, “The train is almost there, let’s get you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These past couple chapters have been difficult for me to write. I want to express Nozomi's emotional pain in a way that can't just be overcome suddenly, but this is also a story about growing and overcoming those obstacles, and both characters have a large number of problems and issues to overcome so I feel like I can't spend too much time focusing on any one aspect.
> 
> I know the second year has been much longer than the first year, but the third year is coming and I will finally get to go into an interpretation of the events of the anime from the perspective of these two characters.


	55. Chapter 55

The week after returning to Otonokizaka was mostly committed to catching up on the work missed while they were away. Near the end of the week as they were finishing up and getting ready to leave, Eli asked, “I have something to show you, the lesson I promised, are you free?” her tone hopeful.

“Do we need anything special for the lesson, Elichi?” Nozomi asked.

“Nothing in particular, we’re going to Akihabara.” Eli explained.

“Please tell me this does not involve dressing up in a suit for a free parfait.” Nozomi replied incredulously. Though she smiled after she said it.

“No parfaits, this is something different, so no need to dress up.” Eli agreed.

\----

The trip to Akihabara was uneventful, with the only notable thing involving Nozomi’s questions about exactly what the lesson was, which Eli would dodge or find some way to not answer in a definitive manner. After arriving, and after walking to an out of the way place, Nozomi finally asked, “The lesson doesn’t involve anything improper for us to be seen doing in our uniforms, does it?”

“No, not that either, this is pretty innocent, if not terribly exciting.” Eli said. Finally she found her destination, and went inside. Nozomi saw it was a rather out of the way place for karaoke. After Eli arranged for the room, Nozomi followed and they entered a small room with screens and available music to select.

Nozomi went through some of the songs available, her face showing a confused expression. “These songs all look Japanese, Elichi, but I do not recognize them.”

“This is a niche place.” Eli explained, “I realized you have been too busy to focus too much on your life as a high school student, where I have several years of experience, and the last time you were in high school was eight years ago. This place” she continued, taking a pause, “Specializes in the newest of high school social fads, the school idol group, and their songs.”

“You mentioned last year the girl trying to start something like that was not worth our time, why now?” Nozomi asked next, continuing to look through the selection.

“She isn’t worth our time, but if you want to do more than Tarot readings and read what they pray for at the shrine for classmates you should probably learn about these groups a little.” Eli replied. “Select a song.”

Nozomi selected a song, and in delight noticed that not only were the words available to guide someone to sing the song, but a performance video was on another screen in the room. It was a high energy song, and Nozomi thought the performance looked difficult, but she watched the video with Eli, not saying anything. Where Nozomi was mostly curious, Eli was watching the performance video intently. After the song was over, Eli spoke again, “Play the song again, now watch me.” Nozomi did so, and went to watch Eli at the front of the room. The song started playing again, and Eli didn’t sing, but instead performed the dance routine.

Nozomi smiled as she watched Eli perform, afterwards making a show of clapping, “Elichi was good at that!” After that was done she asked, “I thought Elichi did not like idols.”

“I don’t, particularly Japanese idols.” Eli replied quickly. “You saw a performance that was difficult in your eyes, I saw something that was so clumsy I could improve upon it easily.” Then she took a seat next to Nozomi, “The assignment before Otonokizaka, I found a boy. He was rather intelligent and had potential, but his weakness was his love of school idols. Once I found this place and showed him a private performance, he thought of me as his own personal idol. It was” Eli winced as she paused before adding, “Very easy once he saw me that way.” Then Eli tried to change her tone to a more optimistic one, “I could teach you the dance quickly enough. I know it doesn’t seem like a useful lesson, but it is something I know that you do not, and you never know when you will be in a situation where it is essential to your success. I certainly never expected to use it, until I needed it.”

Nozomi nodded. The next half hour involved playing several parts of the performance video several times while Eli walked Nozomi through the steps. Memorizing the steps was easy for Nozomi, and her physical condition meant the steps were not difficult, but Eli would constantly say, “You are too mechanical, not fluid enough, you need it to look more natural.” Finally Eli sat down, “Now you will perform the entire song.” Then the song started.

Nozomi went through the song, dancing as she had been taught by Eli. At the end of the song, she wasn’t particularly tired, physical conditioning saw that her stamina was adequate. Then Eli gave her evaluation, “Slightly worse than the actual performers, but quite good for a short period of training.”

“Elichi was a good teacher.” Nozomi said with a bright smile. For the next couple hours they took turns trying to sing the school idols’ songs. Nozomi then asked Eli, “UTX has school idols?” as she pointed to one of the entries. Then she played one of the songs. It only took a few seconds, but Nozomi immediately paused it. “Eli, the one in the middle, short brown hair, who is she?” her tone suddenly serious, like this was a critical question she needed an answer to right away.

“Tsubasa Kira?” Eli answered, inflecting her tone upwards at the end. “I never paid them any attention, why are you so worked up about her?”

“That’s the same girl that picked up the dead drop Hitomi left when we watched the recordings.” Nozomi replied. “It’s a different angle but it looks like the same person, and she was wearing a UTX uniform. We found something important, Eli.” Nozomi was no longer interested in the lesson or the song, it was back to her thinking through her work.

“I don’t know her, but we can probably guess what her story is.” Eli suggested, “She dreamed of wanting a chance to perform, then ran into Hitomi who found this out and offered that dream in exchange for some very simple assistance. After that Hitomi gave her the resources she needed to succeed easily and gain popularity.”

“We need a way to contact her.” Nozomi considered.

“That might be a while.” Eli explained, “Hitomi will want to see you soon again to try and tempt you, that girl is probably busy enjoying her life as a school idol, and I’m pretty sure it’s best if we find a way to deal with Angie quickly.”

“You are right, but now that we know who she is, we may be able to use it, somehow.” Nozomi suggested. “You know school idols better than I do, so I will leave that to you.”

Eli smiled, “You’re trusting me with research?” happy at being able to ask this question. “I’ll have more information as soon as possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the reveal about the girl involved in the dead drop from several chapters ago, I'm promoting Tsubasa to the tags!


	56. Chapter 56

The next week passed. Eli had not returned with any research on Tsubasa and A-Rise yet, but Nozomi did not press the issue since Eli had spent most of the week outside of classes with her Yakuza accountant and managing her holdings.

At the end of the week, during lunch, Nozomi was at her desk as a small girl in her class approached her. The pink cardigan gave it away. While Nozomi didn’t know the girl by name, she did remember walking past her with Eli last year. “Good afternoon.” Nozomi greeted her with a smile. “Did you come asking for advice?” she asked.

“I hear everyone in this school has asked you for advice, so I want some!” the girl declared.

“And what is your name? I’m sorry, I still haven’t learned everyone’s names at this school yet.” Nozomi admitted, making a point to look somewhat embarrassed by this revelation.

“Nico Yazawa!” the girl announced enthusiastically, “The top idol of this school! And you have the privilege of being able to give me advice on how to become the top idol ever!”

“Nico.” Nozomi said, then she smiled, “Okay, Nicochi, let me see what the cards have to tell you.” Nozomi made a show of taking out the cards and shuffling them, a lot of shuffling, “It’s important to cleanse the cards before their use to get an accurate reading!” she declared. The past few readings Nozomi had become obsessed with the idea of cleansing the cards. It wasn’t that she had an interest in using them since seeing Angie again, but it was expected of her, and would be suspicious if she suddenly stopped.

“The Hierophant.” Nozomi announced, placing the first card down. She thought about what to say carefully, conflicted on how to interpret it. “This card is about the importance of mentor relationships, whether others mentor you, or you mentor them. It is about the importance of groups.” Nozomi explained. She managed to get the words out, but they sounded hollow. It was difficult to consider who she was giving advice to when she felt confused as to whether the reading was for Nico or actually for herself. Just the thought of mentoring relationships was enough to drive Nozomi to introspection today, having just lost two mentors and realizing she herself was mentoring someone herself.

“I asked how to become to top school idol.” Nico complained, “Not about needing a group to do it.”

“But Nicochi-“ Nozomi intervened, Nico’s complaint giving her something to respond to that wasn’t internal. “An idol needs more than just herself to succeed. When you see an idol, there is not only the idol, but those who teach them, those who support them. If you do not want to think about that, your fans are also a group.”

“Fine.” Nico conceded, unhappy that Nozomi managed to explain the point well enough that she couldn’t argue too much with it.

“The next card is The Fool.” Nozomi began. “It is fundamentally about newness and beginnings.” was all she said, though once again, she mostly thought about herself. It wasn’t that her relationship with Eli was new, but rather the idea of a relationship where she trusted and relied heavily on Eli was new. _I’m quite selfish today, aren’t I?_ she asked herself.

“Is that the best you can do? I thought people liked your advice.” Nico continued with the complaining, unhappy with the results so far.

“I only interpret what the cards tell me, I do not choose the cards myself.” Nozomi said quietly, but then she drew the third card, “King of Wands in reverse position.” Nozomi announced. Nozomi was silent, not offering an interpretation right away. _A card that refers to an old man in your life. Did I do a reading for myself?_ she thought again, but before she could get much further she was interrupted by Nico.

“So what does that mean?” Nico asked, irritated that Nozomi was not providing much in the way of answers today.

“Well, this card is about leniency towards others.” Nozomi explained. It was not an incorrect interpretation, but it was the best interpretation she had that didn’t drive her to reflect too much on herself.

“So what do I do with this? You told me three random things and most of it’s about starting over and relying on others, not how to become the top idol.” Nico continued, clearly unhappy with the results Nozomi provided.

“It is up to you to decide what they are telling you to do. I can only provide an interpretation of what is shown to me.” Nozomi tried to explain, but before she finished she saw that Nico had already begun to leave, now in a rather poor mood compared to when she arrived.

Nozomi started shuffling the cards again, _The cards told her nothing, but told me plenty._ she reflected.


	57. Chapter 57

When Eli arrived at Nozomi’s apartment in her black suit, she saw Nozomi had the map of Japan with the marked coastal areas out again. “Again?” Eli asked as she looked at it.

Nozomi took a seat after letting Eli inside, “I know Hitomi is probably more dangerous and we should be dealing with her, but I need to capture Angie soon before my superiors learn I failed the first time.” Her tone showed a level of stress that Eli was not used to seeing, Nozomi clearly anxious about her work when normally she would maintain a more level voice through just about anything when they were alone.

“Hitomi works slowly.” Eli finally said, taking a seat on the coach next to Nozomi. “If she’s working with school idols, she’s probably not up to anything too dangerous.” Then she reached behind Nozomi, her hands taking hold of Nozomi’s shoulders. She then nudged Nozomi to face her back towards her. “You’re tense.” she said.

“Am I?” Nozomi asked as Eli began to massage her shoulders. “Ow! That hurts!” she said momentarily, but Eli kept going. “Oh, that’s starting to feel better, was I really that bad?” she asked.

“You were.” Eli replied, her tone quiet. “I know I have been gone most of the week, but I didn’t know you were doing so poorly.”

“I’m fine.” Nozomi responded with a sigh. “I just didn’t expect it to be her, that’s all. I’m fine now and we can make a second attempt soon.”

“We both know you are not fine.” Eli insisted, continuing to massage Nozomi’s shoulders. “It would be like if we came across one of the people I recruited. They would almost certainly hesitate or have doubts of some kind facing someone like me.”

“You worry too much. We’re taught to compartmentalize these things. I’ve had assignments much more difficult than Angie.” Nozomi explained, but her tone was now one that exhibited the weariness she had been experiencing over the past week. “It’s not like I have to worry about her coming to extract us at any moment, we are the ones chasing her.”

“And you have difficulty being honest with yourself when it’s important.” Eli replied. Then she stopped the massage and stood up, “Lie down, face towards the couch.” Nozomi didn’t ask why, instead doing as she was told, at which point she felt Eli above her moving her hands to massage her back.

“I’m plenty honest with myself.” Nozomi insisted, propping her head up by her hands which she had moved in front of her while Eli continued with the massage.

“I’ve been here so many times and I’ve yet to see you own a single sentimental item other than your cards.” Eli began, “You maintain a barrier between yourself and every other person in your life, even me. You’re scared of someone finding something that is sentimental to you, of someone seeing the real you.” Eli paused, “I’m more intelligent than you think, and I am quite capable of reading people. Even people like you who are supposed to keep everything a secret. Angie doesn’t bother you because she’s a threat to your physical wellbeing, and she doesn’t scare you as someone you want to stop. She terrifies you because she knows the you you hide from everyone else.”

“We’re supposed to be figuring out how to stop her, not my feelings.” Nozomi replied. Her tone was a mixture between trying to speak in a flat tone and how she physically felt good from the massage she was receiving.

“Here’s what will happen, Natsuko-“ Eli put a pause after using the name. Eli could feel Nozomi’s body instantly become tense, and Eli’s hands kneading her back did little to abate it.

“Don’t call me that.” Nozomi snapped, now clearly irritated.

“That is my point exactly. She uses that name for you and you stop being able to make good decisions, you panic. You didn’t fail to capture her, you let her leave. You knew she would be distracted when her ship was in danger, and that’s when you were going to strike, but you didn’t.” Eli said.

Her accusation wasn’t lost on Nozomi, “I was protecting you. Did you miss the part where she had a pistol pointed at you?” she asked defensively.

“I know, but she can paralyze you with just one word. You’re putting yourself at risk if you want to keep going after her without at least attempting to process the emotions you have involving her.” Eli continued. The massage had temporarily stopped as Eli spoke, “Angie doesn’t speak to Nozomi Toujou, she speaks to the young girl who looked up to her.”

“What makes you think you understand this so well?” Nozomi asked.

Eli didn’t say anything at first, instead choosing to massage Nozomi’s lower back. “Angie used to do the same job I used to do. Recruitment. You make someone love you, admire you, look up to you. You become the thing they want most in the world, and then you use it to make them do the thing you want. You were the little girl that wanted someone to understand how alone she was, and so she became the wise mentor, someone you wanted to become yourself. Even if you know all that, it doesn’t mean it would be easy to stop thinking of her like that.”

“Eli. Stop. Please.” Nozomi began to plead, but the moment she said that, Eli continued.

“And the one thing you do own, your cards, were a gift from her. The thing that defines who the real you was given to you by your enemy, and you can’t get over it.” Eli said.

“I told you to stop, please, not right now.” Nozomi said, the tone was pleading.

Eli fell silent and continued with the massage. She noticed Nozomi’s body did become less tense as she continued. She smiled, enjoying being this close to the woman she loved, even if they did just come into conflict with each other.

Nozomi eventually closed her eyes. Eli then whispered, “I love Nozomi Toujou, and I really will do anything to protect you, even from yourself.” She then got up, unsure if Nozomi heard her or not.


	58. Chapter 58

“I am tired of this!” Sasaki began, once again clearly irritated with the Otonokizaka operation. “You authorize whatever armaments she wants, let her have her relationship with an enemy operative, and aren’t recalling her after she very clearly put a significant Russian asset at extreme risk.” The normal deference to authority was no more, the past year and a half had been more than enough for him. “And the worst part is, she isn’t even sending reports of what happened. Obviously something has gone wrong, we don’t know what, we have no idea how significant the damage is, and you aren’t even concerned!”

The old man Sasaki was reporting to didn’t answer right away. “And what do you propose we do? Abandon the operation? Do you have a plan to salvage it perhaps?” he finally asked.

“We could easily pick up all the suspected operatives if we went in with force.” Sasaki answered. “It would require abandoning Otonokizaka, but the value of that school is negligible now. If we had acted properly on my recommendations a year ago that operation would be over and we’d be shipping Natsuko back to Russia where she belongs.”

“Go, write up a contingency plan.” the old man answered. “I am not opposed to planning for such a scenario but I do not think the situation is as dire as you paint it.”

“You’re always like this when Sergei is involved. ‘Let him do what he wants.’ ‘Let the protégé do as they please.’” Sasaki grumbled.

“Tell me, Sasaki, what do you do at the end of the day?” the old man asked, the look in his eyes made Sasaki realize this was a trap of some kind.

After a few moments, Sasaki answered, “I go home.”

“And who do you see at home?” the old man asked next.

“My family.” Sasaki answered.

“Yes, you have the privilege of being in a position where you can go home and see the people you love every night. That is how it used to be when I was in the field.” The old man started to explain. “We had rules, we had protocol. Yes, we were enemies, but there was a civility to it, we let each other have lives outside of our trade.” Then the old man paused for a couple seconds before his voice became louder, “You speak like you know of the sacrifices field operatives have to make now. You speak like someone who has the luxury of being able to enjoy a family.”

“I was promoted from field operations, of course I have that luxury. I waited until I was promoted to have it, responsibly” Sasaki replied.

“Oh? Responsibly?” the old man asked. “I’d love to see you explain that to Sergei. He left his family to work with us because the new world required that kind of sacrifice. Then you have the gall to criticize him because he formed a bond with Natsuko. Then you criticize her because she’s trying to have a bond with someone.”

“You’re letting her have relationships with Russians!” Sasaki snapped. “Did you forget who the enemy is?”

“Enemy operatives are who we are opposed to, not Russians.” the old man replied calmly. “They have operatives in many countries, it’s just in Japan most of the foreign operatives are Russian. In South America they prefer Mexican operatives since they speak the language.”

“That doesn’t change the fact you’re allowing her to have a relationship with someone who was a known enemy operative.” Sasaki insisted.

“Eli Ayase has the potential to be a great asset to us, even if you fail to understand this. So yes, I will be concerned about her wellbeing and not just round her up like you propose. Draw up your contingency plan, but if you must insist on your complaints about Natsuko then have evidence her conduct is endangering operations.” the old man said. “You are dismissed.”

Sasaki fumed, but he left the office.

\----

Nozomi woke up the next morning, still on the couch from the night before. _Eli must have left after I fell asleep._ she observed. With that she began to walk through her apartment, checking the places where important material and documents were being kept to make sure they were not disturbed. A half hour later, satisfied with her sweep of the apartment, she picked up her phone and asked Eli to return.

By the time Eli arrived, Nozomi was back to staring at the map that was left out. After letting Eli in and closing the door, Eli asked, “What is it? Are you still not feeling well?” she asked.

“Actually, I think you are right and realized something as I was thinking about Angie.” Nozomi began to explain. “She knows me too well, she knows what will stop me, or make me hold back. In essence, she’s impossible for me to stop.”

“I didn’t mean to tell you to give up.” Eli replied quietly, taking a seat next to Nozomi again. “I only wanted you to be aware of the danger she presents.”

“I’m not giving up.” Nozomi said. “I should explain a little better. She’s impossible for me to stop with my ideas and tactics. Her training is similar enough to mine, she has more experience, and she knows me sufficiently well she could predict most of the plans I could possibly come up with.”

“Doesn’t that mean you should be able to predict her actions as well?” Eli asked.

“To an extent. I won’t be able to predict everything, but I know most of her tactics against me will be to exploit what she knows about me. Over time and enough encounters, I could probably become more resistant to her favored tactics, but we do not have enough time for that.” Nozomi continued to explain. “That’s why I need you to plan the next attempt.”

“I’ve never planned an operation like this before.” Eli replied quickly, obviously unsure of herself.

“Except you have.” Nozomi countered. “Your job was essentially baiting people to a certain location. You can still do that. You also have some practical experience after working with me. Angie can predict me because she knows me, but she doesn’t know you and doesn’t believe I would entrust you with anything important. She referred to you as a pet during our discussion, so she doesn’t think much of you.”

“Are you sure about this?” Eli asked, skeptical.

“I think it is a better plan than letting me do all of the planning and then relying on me being able to withstand whatever tactics she chooses to employ against me.” Nozomi said. “I’ll support you with information and in any way you need, but if it’s your ideas, she will not be able to predict them as well. Also, you said last night both of you used to do the same kind of work, so you might be able to understand her a little, especially if I can answer any questions about her you might need to know.”

“So I’m supposed to be leading now?” Eli asked next, still full of questions about what exactly Nozomi was requesting from her.

“Don’t think of it as leading if you don’t want to, think of it as being given your first opportunity to plan an operation. I’ll review the plan and we’ll improve it together, but the core idea needs to be yours.” Nozomi explained.

“Thank you, Nozomi.” Eli said with a smile. “I know this isn’t easy for you, but thank you for trusting me, at least just a little with this.”

“You need the experience, Eli.” Nozomi replied. “If I’m to have you as a partner long term, I need someone that can fully support me.” Then she offered another smile, before speaking in her higher pitched student voice, “If Elichi is able to be successful, I will be able to persuade my superiors to let her stay with me, which would make me very happy!”

Eli smiled, “I understand.” she said. “I’ll come up with something.”


	59. Chapter 59

Eli was unsure what to make of Nozomi entrusting her with making a plan for an operation. The objective was to capture, not kill, Angie while not arousing too much attention. Her initial thoughts considered the parameters and objectives a fantasy. It wasn’t that Eli didn’t have her own experience to draw on, but that experience was used on those who were untrained. She was anxious about the idea of having to plan an operation against someone with training.

She then opened her phone, pressing a few buttons to access one of her financial accounts. _A bonus of five million for one of my acquisitions, they must have been happy with my results for that one._ Unlike in the past where the bonuses were a welcome addition to her life, now the ones that came in on occasion were reminders of past activities she would rather forget. Well, that and more money she had to process through the maid café.

_I wonder who they thought was so valuable?_ Eli asked herself, but she put on her suit, let her hair lie straight down her back. It was early in the morning yet, but she had somewhere she had to be.

\----

The entry gate for UTX was often swarming with students entering, but she was looking for one in particular. Soon enough she found who she was looking for, a rather small girl. From her outside appearances Eli thought she was fifteen, but that did not deter Eli at all. “Hanae.” she said aloud. The small girl froze.

“It has been a while.” Hanae said in reply to Eli’s greeting. “We were separated and I was so scared, but I’m glad you found me again like you promised!” she was rather cheerful.

“I promised I would find you again if we ever became separated. Would you like to talk after you are done with classes?” Eli asked.

“Of course! I would love to spend time with you again!” Hanae agreed.

“You don’t look a day past fifteen.” Eli said with a smile.

“Isn’t it wonderful to be young again?” Hanae asked, then she gave Eli her phone number.

“I’ll call you after your classes are done.” Eli agreed. “Enjoy your day!” and with that she left.

Eli sighed as she spent the day remembering what Hanae was like when they originally met a couple years ago as she waited for classes to end.

\----

The meeting between Eli and Hanae started as many of her prior relationships had. She found out Hanae wanted to go to a concert but could not afford the tickets.

“Hanae!” Eli began cheerfully, “I found some tickets so we can go together!”

“Really?” Hanae asked, her eyes shining brightly with optimism. “I don’t care if you could only get us somewhere in the back, as long as I’m there it would be incredible!”

Then Eli smiled, the operational budget had been quite useful once again. “Actually I found some tickets for the front, did you want to go?”

Hanae readily agreed, and after that night and a couple more gifts, she was more than ready to take the plane trip to Russia with Eli.

\----

After classes were over, Eli called the phone number provided, and gave Hanae a meeting spot. Eli for her part was still dressed in her suit. Eventually Hanae did arrive, still in her UTX uniform. “You look so mature now!” Hanae said enthusiastically. “I was so worried what happened to you after we were separated, so I’m glad to see you are doing quite well.”

“I am! I was told you were quite successful, too.” Eli replied. “How did it go?”

The younger girl thought about the question for a couple minutes, “At first it was scary, I didn’t know what to do when they said you didn’t make it into the class, so I was scared. Then they started teaching me about music production for a couple years. They did some other things too, but I was able to manage those. I never thought I needed lessons on how to send secure messages to make music, but they told me the field is extremely competitive and we would need to be worried about other people stealing our work, so I listened.”

Eli nodded, “And you were sent to UTX when you were done?” she asked.

“Of course! I was told I could get some experience working with a top school idol group and go through high school again. It’s been amazing!” Hanae beamed with pride, seeming perfectly happy with her assignment.

“Do you have a manager?” Eli asked.

“Oh, yeah, they have a Russian woman in charge, they said she was very experienced and she advises the girls themselves and all of us who support them. She’s always very supportive of us and we get to take part in their concerts! I feel bad you didn’t make it, but thank you for introducing me to them and going with me!” Hanae continued, her mood quite upbeat.

“I’m glad I could help.” Eli said with a smile, “Also, just so you know, now that you’re back you can call me Keiko. You’re old enough, so we should have a drink sometime, unlike how we couldn’t do that when we met.”

“Okay!” Hanae agreed, leaving soon after her agreement.

_She could almost certainly not oppose me._ Eli concluded. _This must be how Angie feels about Nozomi. I’m still no closer to a plan to capture Angie, but maybe I understand a little bit about how she thinks about those who came before her. Hanae would be easy to appeal to since I knew her weaknesses._

Eli thought about her short time with Hanae for the evening, deciding not to tell Nozomi the details of what today’s research entailed, or why she wasn’t in class. _How would I stop me if I were in Hanae’s position?_ she asked, realizing that was likely an important question when it came to capturing Angie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing that always struck me about A-RISE was when the complimented the members of Muse, a significant part of their comments weren't about their individual ability as performers, but for the support role a given member took on (like Kotori and costume design). It always led me to believe the A-RISE had quality support members that didn't do either, but were critical to making the group popular.


	60. Chapter 60

The next week was difficult for Nozomi. She had grown used to the regular presence of Eli in her life, and ever since she had sent her off for research and to come up with a plan on how to capture Angie, she had been mostly absent. It wasn’t that student council duties were significantly difficult for her, they were mostly items she could easily handle by herself. It wasn’t that she wasn’t busy with her duties at the shrine, either. It certainly would have been easy enough to call or text her at just about any time.

It was on a Friday shortly after classes she received a text from Eli, <Parfait in Akihabara?> A part of her sighed, as she knew trips to Akihabara involved more effort dressing up than she preferred. At the same time, it was her first real opportunity to spend time with Eli in several days. She sent a reply in agreement back to Eli quickly, headed to her apartment to change, and left again for Akihabara.

\----

The trip to Akihabara was easy enough, no one was going to question a professionally dressed woman on a subway. Once to the café she saw Eli and approached.

“Sit.” Eli said, but notably she said it in Russian.

“Of course, are you sure this is okay?” Nozomi asked, switching to Russian as well, taking Eli’s lead.

“The manager isn’t going to question us and it would be easier if we weren’t easily understood. The parfaits should be here soon but we should be left alone afterwards.” Eli explained. Then she took out a small USB drive. “Here’s your school idol research. I made sure to put it in a database form as well so you can cross reference related aspects of the groups.”

“Thanks.” Nozomi replied as the parfaits arrived. “Anything particularly noteworthy?” she asked.

“Most of them are what you would expect.” Eli began. “Generally school clubs that are fans of professional idols and seeking to emulate them. There’s an entire category dedicated to the school idols that just cover the work of professionals. While I would not exclude them from scrutiny entirely, I think there is little reason for further investigation of them at this time.” then she had a taste of her parfait, “These are particularly delicious when they are free.” she said offhandedly.

Nozomi laughed at Eli’s comment about the parfaits, but had a taste herself and added, “Glad to be of assistance helping you achieve your goal of ready access to parfaits.” Then Nozomi took the USB drive from Eli, pocketing it. “And so there are some that create original content?” she asked.

“A few, but they are in the minority. Of these groups most of their content is relatively innocuous. Standard Japanese idol fare obviously inspired by whatever Japanese idol they favor.” Eli continued, “Don’t worry, I avoided commentary on their poor taste in music in the actual files.”

Nozomi sighed a breath of relief at Eli’s last comment. “And A-RISE?” she asked.

“Nothing special from their music yet, and while my beliefs are largely speculation, I believe they warrant further scrutiny.” Eli began to explain again. “Hitomi is clearly involved with the group and has significant influence over them, serving as an advisor. Additionally, my superiors are placing students at UTX to be involved with the production of content for the group.”

“They’re idols, Eli. School idols. Japanese ones at that. I thought you didn’t think highly of them at all.” Nozomi observed.

“I don’t, but Hitomi is involved, and they wouldn’t waste someone like her on a pointless task, which means something is going on with that group.” Eli replied. “I thought about it, idols generally don’t mean anything, they just produce songs that make you feel a certain way. Then I remembered the idols I liked, and realized they mattered because they, even if their idol personas weren’t real and were entirely fabricated, meant something important to me. Their messages mattered to me.”

“I thought you said their songs weren’t of any particular messaging.” Nozomi pointed out, continuing with her parfait between her interjections.

“We both know idols can be used to convey a message. A constructed idol group can be used to present a very well made message.” Eli continued. “For most people, idols can convey basic emotions according to the song. Hitomi’s plan is obvious, and I think you will agree after reading all of the details. She’s creating a Japanese propaganda unit. The songs will be innocent with subtle messages at first, but in two or three years, if successful, she will be able to take A-RISE to a professional level and use them for her own messages. We can not predict what those messages will be, but the propaganda value of a beloved idol would be significant.”

“Eli, you-“ Nozomi paused as she thought about her next words, “I did not expect a hypothesis thought out this well supported with additional research.” she admitted.

“We already know Tsubasa Kira is involved.” Eli insisted. “Read the rest of it and tell me what you think, but I do think you will agree the hypothesis is viable.”

Nozomi sighed at this, “You may well be right, but if you are, how do we stop her?”

Eli shook her head, “I was able to identify the problem, but it’s like Hitomi has no flaws to exploit or she can hide them from everyone, so directly engaging her is not an option. I have no idea how we could stop A-RISE, either. Not to mention we are still working on a plan to deal with Angie. Hitomi’s efforts aren’t likely to be a threat for several months yet at the very least, and I know you are prioritizing Angie.

“It’s okay, we can wait.” Nozomi replied. “As terrible as it sounds we need to continue to look for an opening against both Hitomi and Angie, and neither are presenting many opportunities right now.” Nozomi sighed, “Our first encounter with her was the best we had since we had the element of surprise, but now with that gone we may need to let her make the next move.”

Eli nodded in reply. “We can worry about that later, I would not want my parfait to melt.” she added with a smile. With that the two women changed the subject for the day, instead choosing to focus on the parfaits they enjoyed so much.


	61. Chapter 61

“I still can’t believe you like spy movies.” Eli said drily. The past few weeks had been quiet for both women. Nozomi seemed content to wait for an opportunity and days that used to be spent doing research and working turned into small dates and time at Nozomi’s apartment where she would put some kind of spy fiction on in the background, giving it the barest explanation as “training materials.” Eli didn’t particularly follow the shows that well, since they were largely in English, but she did appreciate Nozomi thought to mostly play things with Russian subtitles for her benefit, even if Eli didn’t like to read shows she watched.

“Winters in Russia were often like this.” Nozomi explained as a response. “When nights are over twenty hours long there isn’t much to be done some days, and my old partner enjoyed this stuff. Well, anything newer than fifteen years old. He said the old spy movies made him feel too much like a bad person.” Then Nozomi smiled, “Well, except the one movie where it was the GRU plant who was the villain at the end. He didn’t mind so much if it wasn’t the KGB. Guess the old man still felt some sympathy for his former agency.”

“So what exactly is this supposed to be teaching me again?” Eli asked, but she didn’t seem too concerned with receiving an answer as she held Nozomi close to her on the couch.

“I’m supposed to be pointing out how some of the things done aren’t right and how to do them correctly.” Nozomi replied.

“Are you sure this is okay? To just be waiting like this?” Eli asked. It was a question she asked frequently. After months of seeing Nozomi work almost endlessly only to suddenly see her seem unconcerned with her work now was still somewhat unnerving to Eli.

“It’s okay, Elichi, really.” Nozomi said reassuringly. “We have to wait for somebody to do something. I know it’s not exciting, but our condition right now is one where we will have to react instead of act.”

“Aren’t you worried about Otonokizaka at all? I mean, that was your assignment, right? You have time right now so shouldn’t we at least be trying to do something about the school?” Eli asked next. While she often asked questions about whether or not they should be doing something, she hadn’t asked about Otonokizaka recently.

“Orders are to refrain from any unnecessary activity, and Otonokizaka has been downgraded to a tertiary objective at best. As much as it would be nice to find a way to assure the school stays open, we aren’t to do it at the cost of stopping Angie or Hitomi.” Nozomi replied. “Besides, I don’t want to say I dislike the school, and I wouldn’t mind finding some way to help since I’ve made almost no progress on that in nearly two years, but were you given any specific orders to actively sabotage the school as your assignment?”

“No, I was just told to make sure nothing unexpected happened to revitalize it. Like it was a dying school anyway and it was supposed to be an easy assignment that even someone they deemed nearly useless like me could handle.” Eli admitted.

“I suspected as much.” Nozomi continued. “If we find a way to stop Hitomi and Angie we can worry about Otonokizaka, but for now we really need to wait.”

Eli nodded a little and opted to go back to watching the alleged training materials Nozomi had provided.

\----

After a couple hours, Nozomi’s phone rang. She picked it up and answered, “Hello?”

The English reply Nozomi received to the greeting instantly gave away the answer to the question of who was calling, “Good evening, Natsuko!”

“What do you want Angie?” Nozomi asked, this question asked in English. Nozomi then paused the movie and put the phone on the table, setting it to speaker, indicating to Eli to be quiet.

“I went through all this trouble to find you again and that’s how you greet me? You hurt my feelings!” Angie continued, her voice brimming with the usual enthusiasm Nozomi had come to associate with the woman.

“I’m kind of busy right now, so get to the point.” Nozomi insisted.

“Are you on a date with the Russian girl?” Angie asked. Nozomi could hear the cheerfulness through almost every word of Angie’s voice as she spoke, “Did you finally get the courage to confess to someone? I’m so proud of you!”

“I asked you what you wanted, Angie.” Nozomi said, certainly not enthused.

“Well, since you’re on a date with the Russian girl, maybe I wanted a day to spend with you as well.” Angie’s tone then became quieter. “Look, I’m sorry about last time, okay? I was a bit surprised, just like you were, and I reacted a bit instinctively. I’m sorry about pointing a gun at your girlfriend if you’re sorry about rigging the area with explosives, okay, is that better?”

“Don’t listen to her.” Eli interjected in Japanese. She didn’t really follow the conversation, but she knew the voice.

“Now now, don’t be jealous Russian girl.” Angie replied, making a point to do so in Russian. “I’ll even use small words if it would help.”

“I have a name.” Eli objected.

“Did all that time in Russia make you go native, Natsuko?” Angie asked, switching back to English as if Eli’s presence were an afterthought. “Or did you just acquire a taste in the exotic girls? Is that it? Am I not different enough for you? Or do you need that hint of Japanese with blonde hair? I thought I knew your tastes so well! I even had surgery done to look better for you so we could be together again!”

“I asked what the Hell you wanted, Angie.” Nozomi said, clearly irritated at Angie’s prodding.

“Don’t be like that!” Angie chided, “It hurts my feelings. All I want is to spend time with you. We can go out together next weekend. It will be great. A nice lunch, a walk, maybe a movie followed up by a dinner.”

“Why would I go out on a date with you, Angie?” Nozomi asked, herself making a point to ask in Japanese this time.

“Trying to help the Russian girl understand what I’m saying?” Angie asked. “Tsk tsk tsk. Such a bad girl. Clever try!”

Nozomi looked over at Eli, seeing her mouth, “It’s okay.” to her. Then she responded to Angie, returning to English. “Fine. Why would I go out on a date with you?” she asked.

“I know it’s been eight years since we’ve known each other but is it really so bad to want to know an old friend again?” Angie asked, back to her usual enthusiasm. “You’re special, Natsuko. I really don’t see why we have to be enemies, it’s not like I’m actually working for the enemy now. I just took an early retirement.”

“Except the part where you supply them with weapons.” Nozomi replied flatly. “But fine, one day. Then at the end surrender. That’s my condition.”

“So up front! So blatant about what you want! Did you lose any sense of subtlety or is it you just aren’t that subtle in English?” Angie asked, her tone clearly teasing. “I won’t turn myself in, but if you’re good I’ll reward you with information on a very special weapons shipment your enemies are ordering. I ship the weapons, telling you where they are, then you get to capture them and everyone involved. You get to be a hero, I go free, you stop some enemy operatives, everybody wins!”

“I’ll think about it.” Nozomi replied, her tone noncommittal.

“You have twenty four hours. Until then, bye!” Angie said cheerfully before the line went dead.

“What exactly did she want?” Eli asked.

“If I spend a day with her and let her go free, she says she’s willing to let us catch some enemy operatives red handed with one of her shipments.” Nozomi explained.

“Is that a good deal?” was Eli’s next question.

“I’m not sure.” Nozomi admitted.


	62. Chapter 62

Accepting Angie’s offer for a day together was easy enough, she called back after 24 hours. Angie’s terms for meeting were detailed, but easy enough to follow. Nozomi arrived at the park in a light violet dress while wearing matching heels. While Nozomi did think it was a bit much, especially as it was starting to become colder outside, she understood what it meant. _Clothing that makes it impossible to conceal a weapon, and heels to make any unarmed attempts difficult._ Nozomi had explained to Eli.

Eli assured Nozomi there was a plan, and they had worked out some basic communication. They knew Angie would insist on conversation in English, which would make it difficult to pass along messages. Nozomi had assisted Eli in placing a bug on her phone so Eli could at least hear what was going on between Nozomi and Angie during their meeting. Shadowing outright was considered not an option since it was deemed likely Angie would be able to detect Eli right away.

Angie arrived in the park wearing a light yellow dress, “Natsuko! I know it’s a bit cold but you look great in the dress!” she said as way of greeting, as cheerful as ever. She was speaking in English, exactly at Nozomi had expected.

“Likewise.” Nozomi said in reply. “I hope your trip here was pleasant.”

“Of course it was! I love when I can make excuses to visit, it’s really a beautiful country here. Besides, now that I know you’re here I can make excuses more often.” Angie explained excitedly.

“Let’s just get this over with.” Nozomi said, far less enthusiastic than Angie was.

“Don’t be like that, Natsuko.” Angie chided, “Is it really so wrong for me to want a relationship with an old friend? Now that you’re trained and you have experience, we’re on more even footing now. You’ve grown into quite the young woman, and I heard you have done quite well.”

“Quit prying.” Nozomi responded. It was clear by the tone she used she was trying to get through this by saying as little as possible.

“Oh, come on now, let’s go have a drink!” Angie suggested, beginning to walk. Nozomi followed as Angie continued, “High school covers are such a bother, you have more than enough adult responsibilities, but none of the privileges that come with it. What do you drink?” she asked. Then Angie smiled and continued after a momentary pause, “We’ll get you some vodka, because that’s what someone like you would drink, am I wrong?”

“I’ll drink vodka.” Nozomi agreed, still trying to let Angie do most of the talking, but she also realized Angie was quite good at spending several sentences saying almost nothing.

“Look, I’m sorry if I seem like the jealous type.” Angie added. “I mean, I suppose I am, even if you are too young for someone like me, and not really my type for a romantic relationship, but I would like a friendship again. You can keep your girlfriend. I don’t mean to exclude her. It’s just, well, I want time that’s just us, too.”

“Do you normally point weapons at the romantic interests of your friends?” Nozomi asked.

“I told you, that was a misunderstanding!” Angie protested mockingly. “I understand if you’re still unhappy about that whole thing. I mean, I get it, it was a bit of a shock. Just give me a chance, okay? The situation is a lot different than what you think and I want a chance to show that to you.”

\----

“School assignments aren’t very exciting. I should know, I had them for several years.” Angie explained. By this point Angie and Nozomi were alone, having had a couple drinks. “I know you don’t like them either. Do you know why?” she asked. “It’s the same reason I paid attention to you at all. Did I ever tell you what got my attention with you?”

“What was it?” Nozomi asked. By now she had at least managed to contain her hostility towards Angie. She still wasn’t saying much, but a question like this was something Nozomi had been curious about for some time.

“You were bored.” Angie said, like it was an incredibly obvious answer. “And I don’t mean bored in the ‘you didn’t want to be at cram school’ way, but bored in that you were never challenged by anything. Life was easy for you, but you wanted something different, something special. You wanted something few others had. We both know what your life without me would be like. You’d have gone to Tokyo University, graduated, had a short career and by now you would be married and your career would be over. We both know you wouldn’t be happy with that. I know you aren’t happy with your current assignment, I understand. Are you happier than you would have been without me?”

It was a difficult question for Nozomi to answer. Angie’s argument wasn’t wrong, but she was also aware that open agreement with her argument would provide a wider opening for Angie to pry some more. “My assignment isn’t so bad. It’s been quiet and peaceful.”

“Natsuko, I didn’t get into my current line of work for any other reason than I wanted to make my own assignments. I wanted to take part in operations that were important and not just boring posts they needed people to fill. It’s why I want to help you.” Angie’s tone was quiet now. Nozomi thought it was rather sympathetic. “I’m in a unique position to help you. You let me go, and I can help you catch some enemy operatives. Not all of them, of course, because that would make me look suspicious, but some. You can even have your new girlfriend help. I’m sure you want your superiors to accept her. A few successful operations with her at your side and she’ll be in. Then you finish your time at your current assignment and you two can stay together.” Then Angie offered a shrug, “Who knows what will happen to her in a year or so if she does not prove her worth now. She might be fine on her own, but it will not be with you. That’s what I want to offer you, a life with the woman you love, a life where you work with your old friend. Is that so bad?”

Nozomi took a drink, she didn’t know how to respond immediately.

Eli was able to listen to parts of the conversation from afar. She knew Nozomi’s silence was a bad sign, even if she wasn’t able to understand what was being said.


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, dialogue between Angie and Nozomi is in English unless otherwise specified.

Nozomi didn’t say anything for a minute. She had to acknowledge Angie’s reasons were sound. She also had to concede that Angie’s plan was very likely to work. Which was precisely the problem. Nozomi couldn’t just dismiss Angie’s offer out of hand, there wasn’t anything particularly absurd about it either.

“I’ll think about it.” Nozomi finally said. “I can’t answer right away. I hope you understand.”

Angie smiled brightly, “I’m glad you’ll do that much.” Then Angie took out a deck of Tarot cards. “I always taught you to do your own readings, but I never offered you one myself. Now that you’re no longer my student, perhaps you can ask my cards about what you want.”

Nozomi smiled with this. “Sure, but don’t pry too much. It’s my decision.” She was trying to assert herself a little. Nozomi understood this was the problem with someone like Angie, she could always offer what someone wanted whether it be as complicated as plans to stay with loved ones or as simple as acting like an old friend. She still couldn’t pass the opportunity Angie offered.

“Okay, okay, I get it!” Angie exclaim, still full of enthusiasm as she shuffled the cards and offered the deck to Nozomi, who cut it. Then Angie drew the first card, “The Page of Pentacles reversed! Such a fitting card!” Angie didn’t bother with any mysticism in her readings, instead she did what she seemed to do with everything else Nozomi had ever seen with her: Take out whatever parts of something she didn’t like and replace it with excessive enthusiasm. “Natsuko! It’s a card about needing to seek help from others. Of course, I’m right here and willing to listen to whatever worry you have.”

“Except you neglect to mention that it can also mean I need to focus and not become distracted.” Nozomi countered.

“Ah! I should have expected nothing less from Natsuko!” Angie said, even when Nozomi tried to disagree she kept her level of enthusiasm. Then she flipped over the next card, “The King of Cups! A card that, for you, means combing love with action!” then she smile again. “The very thing I’m offering you. Natsuko, we both know you can’t lie to the cards.”

“It can also mean the appearance of a man.” Nozomi replied. “Someone I should trust. It can even be a literal man, can it not? Or should I say reappearance?” asking her final question with a smile, knowing that for a second time she countered Angie’s interpretation of the cards.

“He won’t be coming back anytime soon, Natsuko. He made quite a mess in Vladivostok on my account.” Angie replied. “But that’s okay, because it can also indicate a person with lightly colored hair, which I now qualify as.”

“And so does my girlfriend.” Nozomi interjected.

“Your ability to read cards has improved vastly since we last talked about this.” Angie said. For a moment she seemed to have a look of concern, but it was immediately replaced by another bright smile and another card draw.

“The Wheel of Fortune reversed.” Nozomi read. “It means I must accept blame for my actions. Including a decision when it comes to you.” she asserted.

“It also suggests you should question your current relationship.” Angie said, but then she added, “It’s always interesting doing a reading with someone who understands.”

“The cards can make you honest, as you taught.” Nozomi answered, her tone flat. “But the cards can also be manipulated to reveal only the truth you want when you truly understand them.”

“Such a wise young woman.” Angie said with a smile. “I’m glad to know I am a part of that.”

\----

Watching a movie with Angie was an interesting experience for Nozomi. She had always experienced Angie as either a conversationalist or a person of action, realizing that she had never actually witnessed Angie consuming any passive media. Nozomi wasn’t entirely sure how Angie found a place to watch the movie of her choice. She was also somewhat surprised she not only chose an anime movie, but from the mecha genre at that. Nozomi didn’t pay much attention to the movie, instead watching Angie become completely absorbed in it. _Angie would do well in a world where giant mecha were needed to fight kaiju._ Nozomi reflected with a small smile of her own.

After the movie Nozomi followed Angie out. “I think the movie’s message is… ‘you are not alone.’” Angie announced. “I loved that franchise ever since I finished training! You watched it, right? I mean, you were a little young to watch it when it aired but everyone in Japan knows it, right?”

“I somehow get the impression you wanted pilot one of those things.” Nozomi replied, realizing she was essentially a sounding board for the overexcited older woman right now. “Seriously, I never knew you were like a kid inside at times.”

“But they get such cool weapons! And the pilots’ superior officer looks like soooo much fun!” Angie continued, “She’s brilliant! Sure, her apartment is a bit messy, but it looks like she has so much fun and goes out drinking and everything too!”

“I’m pretty sure you missed the point of that character.” Nozomi said quietly.

Not that Nozomi’s objection stopped Angie, “There’s plenty of other stuff too!” Angie said as she continued to gush about her unabashed enthusiasm for the genre.

\----

“It was nice, seeing this side of you.” Nozomi admitted to Angie after dinner. “I think I understand better now.”

“You do?” Angie asked hopefully. “Did you want to go to a hotel for a bit to have some space just to ourselves? I found one that will be cheap if we just have it for a few hours.” she offered.

“A love hotel?” Nozomi asked, “This should be obvious, but you know what those are for, right?”

“Of course I know! But I also know they’re great as isolated places when you need a break from everyone else around you.” Angie then went on, “So many people around here, so troubling!” she mock complained. “It won’t hurt, Natsuko. I promise I won’t do anything weird. Women generally aren’t my type anyway.”

“Okay.” Nozomi agreed as she started to follow Angie, reading the name of the hotel with a slightly puzzled facial expression.

Then Angie prodded her verbally, “Let’s go, let’s go! So much to do today and then I’ll have to leave again for work soon!”

Nozomi watched as Angie went to the kiosk and got the key, then followed her to the elevator, going up two levels. Angie continued to a room as she unlocked it. “Sparks are flying in my head.” Nozomi said, her tone sounding embarrassed as she followed Angie in.

“Nothing to be ashamed of. Even if you are in the mood, I won’t do anything.” Angie insisted. Nozomi closed the door and locked it behind her. Angie them fell on the bed on her back. “I love these places. Nice private places in the middle of everywhere!” Her enthusiasm couldn’t even be curtailed by a sparsely decorated hotel room.

“I hate to admit it, but this is pretty fun.” Nozomi said, taking a seat on the bed next to Angie.

\----

Eli smiled as she heard Nozomi through the phone. She had stayed far behind so as to not alert Angie, who would certainly be able to spot her if she was anywhere close, but Nozomi reading the name of the hotel out loud gave her a general location. She then navigated the hotel, approaching one of the rooms. She then reached in her bag and started attaching a detonator and some shaped charges to the wall. _I hope the video I watched taught me how to do this right._ she thought hopefully.

\----

“You really shouldn’t be so serious, Natsuko.” Angie suggested. “I mean, you’re fun and all, but I think you’d be better off if you could relax more often. I get it, you’re a full fledged operative now, you were in Russia, so you’re all serious. But seriously, Japan is pretty safe, it’s not like you’re going to be facing anyone armed here unless something goes very wrong.”

“I suppose.” Nozomi granted. “But unlike you, it’s draining to have a persona so utterly cheerful. I really should have gone with a more subdued cover personality if I thought over how it was going to have to last me three years.”

“It’s not too late to get out, Natsuko! Take my offer and you can take out your pent up feelings on your enemies!” Angie suggested, always pointing out the benefits of her offer.

Then Nozomi heard an explosion, followed by hearing two objects touch the ground near her. This sound was then followed by a deafening noise and a bright light that rendered her both unable to hear and unable to see as she fell back on the bed as well.

It was probably only a few seconds, but it felt like much longer before she could open her eyes and see again, but as she looked up, she smiled as she saw Eli using handcuffs to restrain Angie.

Angie, once restrained and regaining her bearings asked, “How… did you know?” she asked in Japanse. She was incredulous at first, but once again it was immediately covered by enthusiasm. “You had some quality flashbangs, and a breaching charge. The wrong room and this would have been a terrible debacle for you, so how did you figure out it was here?”

“Nozomi told me, room 220.” Eli said with a smile, taking a moment of pride in the fact she not only got the right room, but she timed the detonation and flashbangs correctly to incapacitate Angie for just long enough to restrain her.

“You don’t speak English.” Angie objected, “And I made sure Natsuko didn’t speak anything in Japanese or Russian, and I checked for a tail!”

Nozomi took out her phone and was busy with it while Eli smiled again. “Nozomi told me.” she repeated. Then Eli looked over at Nozomi, “A bit of a hard one to figure out, I just finished memorizing the English version of that song. Can you make it easier next time, please?” she asked, though it was clearly a joke. Eli was in rather high spirits at the moment given Angie was now restrained.

“We’ll talk later.” Nozomi finally said. “We’re going to have police here at any minute.”

Angie then smiled again, “No hard feelings, Natsuko. I understand.”

“You seem surprisingly calm about all this.” Eli objected. Even with Angie speaking in English, Eli could sense how calm Angie was about being restrained and the message police would be arriving soon.

“You’re naïve, that’s all.” Angie replied in Japanese.

“Hate to interrupt the chatter, but we need to be quick here because we’re going to have a long night ahead of us.” Nozomi said, speaking Japanese so both could understand. She first looked at Angie, “You know how this works, so I’ll spare you the lecture.” Then Nozomi looked at Eli, “So we need to have a very quick lesson on how to handle being captured or detained.” Which was capped off by a quick set of instructions Nozomi hoped Eli understood. She had finished a minute before the police arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter, we have one left in the second year, then it's on to the third year and covering the events of the anime.
> 
> I really enjoyed writing Angie, and hope everyone enjoyed her presence as much as I did.


	64. Chapter 64

Eli kept the instructions Nozomi had gone over her quickly. The police arrived, just as Nozomi predicted, then her, Nozomi, and Angie were separated and detained. At this point Nozomi’s instructions were clear, “Don’t say anything.” Nozomi also promised the interrogation by police would be a short period of time, but after the first two hours of being yelled at by an officer performing the interrogation and not saying anything it certainly did not feel like a short period of time.

After the third hour Eli was feeling rather worn out. It was enough to trail Angie and Nozomi for a day, then to perform the act of actually restraining Angie. It was worse to endure interrogation where Nozomi’s instructions to remain silent were very clear. The screaming interrogator was starting to get to her.

By the fourth hour Eli didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t that she doubted Nozomi, but Nozomi also didn’t explain that four hours counted as a short period of time. Suddenly the interrogator left, which let Eli breathe a sigh of relief for a moment.

Eli’s interrogator came back in, even angrier than before. “You’re free to go.” he finally said, clearly indignant at this.

\----

As Eli left the police station she saw another man approach her. “Come with me, Miss Ayase.” Was all he said, pointing to a significantly larger than average car. Eli nodded in agreement and began to follow. Nozomi said this was part of the plan.

Once in the car and buckled into the back seat the man sat next to Eli and handed her a cloth bag. “For our protection. I hope you understand.” Nozomi hadn’t told her about this part.

“Please tell me you washed it out first?” Eli asked drily.

“It’s a new one, we were told to treat you as a friendly.” the man replied.

Eli put the bag over her head and felt the car start to move. “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?”

“Not an exact location, but you’re with friends. Nozomi told me to apologize to you for this but she also said you would understand.” was the reply she received.

Eli wasn’t sure how much time had passed after that, only feeling the car move. Eventually she was lead out of the car, walked along for a few minutes. Then the bag was removed. Eli saw it was another interrogation room. There was a man at the other side of the room wearing a nice black suit. “Thank you for coming. I only ask that you be forthcoming. I understand the past few hours have been difficult for you. The police had to come to detain you so nobody would become suspicious of our involvement. I apologize for any trouble they caused. Do not worry, there will not be any records of this happening with the police.”

Nozomi had told her this would happen as well, in general terms, and they would appreciate her honesty. Then she heard a voice over a speaker in the room. “It’s okay, Elichi. You’re safe here.” It was Nozomi, and with that Eli smiled.

The next couple hours involved a significant number of questions on her background, but did not yet cover the previous day’s activities. Eli answered them. The interviewer was pleasant enough. He pried often and insisted on more details at times, but was much more pleasant than the police interrogator.

Finally, the man interviewing Eli started asking questions about the events of the day up to that point. “How did you acquire flashbangs and military grade breaching charges?” he finally asked.

Eli was tired by this point, but with the she offered a smile, “I bought them off Angie earlier in the year as an item to trade to a contact. I’m tired but I hope you can appreciate the irony. Even better, I told my superiors they were to fit an assault team to capture Nozomi. I guess I did use them on her after all.” Eli laughed at this a little. It was obvious she was tired, but she tried to enjoy the irony.

The questions continued about the day’s events. As previously the questions did pry, but were not hostile. The finally another major question came, “You, by your own admission, used military grade equipment on a hotel room door. How did you know it was the right one? You could have seriously endangered people if you were wrong.”

Eli smiled again at this, “Nozomi told me. Well, she encoded it in a way that I could understand but Angie wouldn’t.”

“And how did you know, exactly?” the man asked.

Eli sighed, “It’s a bit complicated, but it makes sense. When entering the hotel, Nozomi read the hotel’s name, which made me aware of which building to go to. Then when she entered the room she used a song lyric-“ Eli then switched to English, “Sparks flying in my head.” Then she continued to explain in Japanese, “It’s a localized English version of a song called ‘Sparks.’ In Russian, the song is ‘220.’ Hence, in Japanese and in context it means room 220.”

\----

“Is that even possible?” Sasaki asked Nozomi as they watched the interview on the other side of the wall through one way glass.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Nozomi asked. “It’s a bit obscure, and probably only a few thousand people could figure it out quickly enough, but we didn’t have the resources to work out a detailed communication system when I would only be able to speak English. I had some additional variables to include if the room number was different, but they weren’t needed.”

“She doesn’t speak English.” Sasaki objected.

“You sound like Angie did. Eli’s English is poor, but she’s a major fan of the group. I tested her ability to recognize English lyrics of their songs after the first encounter with Angie, and she replied with an understanding of what they meant.” Nozomi explained. “I suspected Eli committed the songs to memory syllable by syllable.”

“You did well.” Sasaki finally said. “At least we got something out of the Otonokizaka operation.”

“Eli planned it.” Nozomi replied. “Give her some credit.”

“She got lucky.” Sasaki concluded.

“Fine. Drop her off at my apartment when you’re done with her, this was probably her first debrief and the police were a bit rough tonight so she’ll need some time to decompress safely.” Nozomi said after a couple minutes.

“You’ll get what you want.” Sasaki replied, his tone making it clear he did not approve of this plan.

\----

It was almost morning by the time Eli was dropped off at Nozomi’s apartment, after another long trip with the bag over her head.

“Elichi!” Nozomi said upon opening the door, giving the Russian woman an enthusiastic hug.  “You did so well today!”

“Thanks, but I’m tired.” Eli said as she came in.

“We can talk about it more tomorrow. I didn’t expect things to take as long with the police as they did, and I know you weren’t trained for that, but you did wonderfully!” Nozomi said. She was tired too, but was elated the operation was a success.

“So what happens now?” Eli asked as she went to lie on the couch.

“We work on a way to bring Hitomi into the open.” Nozomi said.

“And can I ask what will happen to Angie? She was too calm after being captured. She didn’t even panic a little.” Eli asked.

Nozomi didn’t answer right away, taking several seconds to do so. “Angie will likely get to continue doing what she has been. They’ll question her, but she’s too valuable in operations and the intel value of letting her continue to work is too great to throw her in a hole somewhere. You should know our life is not the kind of life where justice prevails often. It’s a world where we can’t hold grudges because yesterday’s enemy can be tomorrow’s friend.”

Soon after Nozomi answered, Eli fell asleep, exhausted from the long day.

\----

“Natsuko wrote Eli Ayase out to be quite the hero, giving her the credit for just about everything good thing that happened.” Sasaki said, on his phone with his superior. “You know she wants to be able to maintain her relationship with her after the assignment is over.”

“That may be so.” the older man agreed, “But I have always believed Eli Ayase had more value than you accounted for. Natsuko works well with Russian partners. Miss Ayase has talent and is only lacking training, which she has been learning quickly over the past year according to Natsuko’s reports. It is not unheard of to have couples that are both operatives. They can work quite well, especially since these two evidently have the ability to communicate with each other covertly through a shared bond, similar to how a team learns to work together without speaking over time.”

“Even if they’re both women?” Sasaki asked skeptically.

“We can always pass them off as roommates.” the older man replied. “We don’t need to make a decision on her right away.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the second year was long, but it's over! The next chapter will begin to cover the third year and events from the anime itself.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed the second year, it was longer than I expected it to be, but I hope it has a satisfying conclusion.
> 
> Also, as for those of you who caught on that Eli was a fan of t.A.T.u., this is one of the things those references were building up to. I know it's a bit obscure at points, but I really wanted Nozomi and Eli to have a private way to communicate with each other even when they're surrounded. Given they both lived in Russia while the duo was active they were a logical choice for me. It's a bond formed by their own private language filled with references and in-jokes only they understand. I wanted to at least explain it to people who aren't as familiar in this chapter, since I never wanted the references to feel exclusionary and impede the enjoyment of the story to those not familiar with them.


	65. Chapter 65

“It feels like all we ever do right now is file paperwork.” Eli complained. She was at Nozomi’s apartment again.

“Part of being made an official asset is having to submit reports.” Nozomi replied. “Besides, you’re being paid for it now.” In the time since they last saw Angie, Eli had been officially made an asset with Nozomi as her handler. While it did not make her equal in status to Nozomi, it was an acknowledgement that Nozomi’s superiors saw it as beneficial to work with Eli on a formal level.

It wasn’t always paperwork, really. There were other small tasks to accomplish, and as Eli learned, paperwork about those small tasks. “Still doesn’t make me like it.”

“At least you’re assigned to Japan where using a laptop doesn’t raise many eyebrows.” Nozomi added. “I had a friend in training that was assigned to Afghanistan. Most of his work involves taking notes on local gossip.”

\----

When the time came for the formal announcement that Otonokizaka would be closed if the number of applicants for the next year was insufficient, neither Nozomi nor Eli were surprised.

“I suppose it is time we do something.” Eli said after the announcement in the student council room.

“It’s not your fault, Elichi. I made the decisions that let the situation get to this point.” Nozomi replied reassuringly. “But we still have time. If you want I can do this alone in case Hitomi learns of your efforts.”

Eli smiled a little at the last bit, “It’s not that I’m not afraid of her finding out, but just me saying a few words and looking like I’m trying to save Otonokizaka will not raise any alarms. I am the student council president, looking like I want to save the school is expected. Besides, she is quite busy with A-RISE being a success.”

Director Minami’s instructions that the student council should focus on current students was not seen as a surprise. “Do you think she’s working with Hitomi or her subordinates?” Eli asked Nozomi upon their return to the student council room.

“Unlikely. Director Minami is seen as politically reliable.” Nozomi explained. “It’s why Otonokizaka was chosen for me instead of another school that may have been more successful. Besides, if Director Minami was working with them they would not need you here to make sure nothing revitalizes the school.”

Eli nodded in agreement at this point.

\----

“These three girls came to get permission to use the auditorium, didn’t they?” Nozomi interjected. Honoka, Umi and Kotori had already had their application for a club rejected by Eli, and now were asking to use the auditorium for the Welcome Festival. “Since they’re not even a club, the student council doesn’t have the right to say all sorts of things about the nature of their request.”

Eli was reluctant, but she did grant the trio use of the auditorium. After they left she asked Nozomi, “Why are you supporting them?” clearly unhappy.

“No matter how many times I do it, that’s what they tell me to do.” Nozomi then as she looked out the window, “It’s what the cards are telling me to do.” she said with a smile.

Eli stood up. “No. I know what you’re really trying to do, Nozomi.” Nozomi’s explanation of Tarot didn’t impress Eli in the least, having known her long enough to see through that answer. Eli was clearly upset by Nozomi’s intervention leading to Eli having to grant the girls the use of the auditorium.

“I am doing my duty to save the school, Elichi.” Nozomi continued.

“Don’t patronize me.” Eli replied quickly. “We both know the reason we can’t do anything to Hitomi right now is because she’s protected by A-RISE and so doesn’t actually do anything that would give us an opportunity to do something about her.” Eli’s tone rose, clearly irritated. “From the moment you saw those girls with their club application you saw nothing more than a way to strike at her, and you’re more than willing to use those girls to do it.”

“I am only thinking about our future, Elichi.” Nozomi replied calmly. Then she turned around, facing Eli, “Angie is right. In order for us to have a future together you must be seen as essential. Our best opportunity to show that is by stopping Hitomi. I decided I want a life with you, and I will do what is necessary to attain it.”

“We can’t do it this way!” Eli insisted. “I spent five years of my life doing things that way. I rejected all of that by coming to you. I refuse to just stand by and allow you to use young girls as weapons in a conflict they have nothing to do with!”

“Hitomi will not hurt them.” Nozomi answered quietly.

“And how do you know that, exactly? Did your cards assure you that somehow you’ll be able to keep them safe once they start on this path? You don’t know Hitomi like I do!” Eli continued, the idea upsetting her even more as she continued to talk. “Me? I can take it. I could leave any time but choose to deal with her. Those girls wouldn’t be able to make that choice knowing what it is!”

“Hitomi is a full-fledged operative.” Nozomi said, her voice still calm. “That means she will follow certain rules, and it will not further her interest to harm those girls.”

Eli didn’t say anything right away, finally saying, “Please Nozomi, I want to be with you, but find another way. If you can’t do that, just-“ she paused, then adding, “I want to be with you, I love you. I would do almost anything for that, but this is too much. If they were ever hurt, my conscience would never forgive me.”

Nozomi smiled a little at Eli’s words. “I understand. If you find another way that your conscience can accept, let me know. I know it must be hard, to be asked to cooperate in doing something that you swore you would never do again. You have a conscience, and I love that part of Elichi too.”


	66. Chapter 66

“They haven’t stopped.” Eli complained to Nozomi in the student council room. It was still nearly four weeks away from the performance scheduled by the second years. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, what you?” Though it was clear from Eli’s tone the question was rhetorical.

“They train their endurance at the shrine most days.” Nozomi replied, “So I see them quite often. They may actually be able to put on a performance by the Welcoming Festival.”

“They will be able to stand on a stage, but they are not going to be able to help you against Hitomi.” Eli argued.

“Then why are you bothered by my supporting them?” Nozomi asked with a smile. “If I can not use them against Hitomi, then what harm is there in allowing them to be school idols?”

“Because I’m not entirely convinced you wouldn’t try using them against her regardless of how ill prepared they are.” Eli retorted. “And I would prefer you to not be tempted by the possibility.”

“I know how you feel about it, and I understand your objection. Young girls are stronger than you seem to remember, just because you spent several years specializing in finding their weaknesses does not make them weak. When you were their age you were already taking assignments.” Nozomi continued.

“I still disagree with this approach, Nozomi. There has to be a way to do this without using them.” Eli insisted.

“Elichi, everyone in this line of work has done things they find distasteful or unpleasant, regardless of what side you are on.” Nozomi said quietly. “Allowing those girls to perform is not that bad compared to other tasks we may be faced with.”

“You aren’t even looking for another way.” Eli pointed out quickly, the speed of her voice increasing as she made this point.

“No, but you are, right?” Nozomi asked, as calm as she usually was in discussions of tactics with Eli. “If you find a better way, we can do that.”

“All I need is a weapon, I can take care of Hitomi myself. At least that would only put me at risk instead of children who have no idea what they would be agreeing to.” Eli suggested.

“Absolutely not.” Nozomi said firmly. “I am not going to allow you to put yourself in pointless danger. Besides, killing Hitomi would not help the situation. Yes, it would rid us of her, but are you willing to kill the entire support staff for A-RISE as well who could certainly continue for some time without her presence until someone else was found to replace her. Discrediting A-RISE by having other groups surpassing them is a far better option and may stop that entire operation.” Then she added, “If these girls can surpass A-RISE, it will put Hitomi into a much worse position, especially if her superiors see her as having failed at her task.”

“I accept discrediting Hitomi is better than killing her, and capturing her alive would be ideal, but there has to be a better way.” Eli insisted.

“I will listen to you when you find it.” Nozomi concluded.

\----

Looking for a better way was something that had given Eli no end of trouble. With Director Minami giving clear direction that Eli could not take direct action to save the school her options were limited. Furthermore, Nozomi seemed to have no interest in searching for an alternative, seeming content to watch the nascent school idols and see if anything came of it. _They’re just young girls, if I break their resolve it would be a kindness to prevent them from being drawn into this._ she thought.

With that thought, Eli went to the roof where the second years were practicing. “Do you have a minute?” she asked Honoka. After she had the attention of the three girls, she continued, “What will everyone think if a school that hasn’t had school idols in the past, tries and fails?” her tone was soft. Even by this point she had a sense that Honoka would only be spurred to continue if she made her objection too strong. “I don’t want this school to close either. If you truly feel the same way, I want you to give it more thought.”

As she left, Eli reflected on the method she chose to try and stop Honoka. In the past, she usually could find a favorable situation when persuading someone to consider a course of action she wanted, or to turn away from a course of action she did not want. Normally this required some level of knowledge of an individual as well as the ability to offer something they wanted. Without detailed knowledge of Honoka outside of the applications she presented to the student council, Eli had only one significant piece of information: Honoka wanted to keep Otonokizaka open. Appealing to that sense and suggesting she could do harm was the most rational choice.

\----

That evening Eli went to Nozomi’s apartment, something that had remained a habit for her. “You made it, Elichi!” Nozomi greeted enthusiastically, giving the blonde woman a hug and inviting her in.

“Good evening.” Eli said quietly in reply as she entered.

Nozomi starting playing another spy movie as background noise. “We can take a night off to relax.” She offered.

Eli nodded with a smile and took a seat next to Nozomi. In some ways, Eli thought the situation was strange. The very woman who she had a significant disagreement with on such a fundamental level when it came to operations was also the woman she loved. Yet somehow, even with that, Eli could still enjoy time alone with her. She wondered if she should say anything about what happened at school that day, but opted not to instead simply saying, “I love you, Nozomi.”

“Where did that come from, Elichi?” Nozomi asked, looking over at the Russian woman.

“I don’t know. I felt like it was something I should say.” Eli replied. There were plenty of serious conversations to be had, but Eli instead smiled, _Not tonight. It will not do us any harm to just enjoy each other’s company for a night._ she concluded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose now that we're covering anime content, I should give a rough intention of how I want to cover it.
> 
> Generally speaking, I'm not aiming to change on screen events, though some scenes may be expanded or reinterpreted as having a different context for this story. The major example of this being Eli's objections to Muse is rather different than how it appears in the anime itself, even if she generally says the same lines. I'm also aiming to cover as few scenes in the anime directly as I can manage to get away with, or if I must use them use only the most significant parts. While this does technically have the cost of excluding people who aren't familiar with LLSIP, I think it's reasonably safe to assume most people reading this have at least a basic understanding of the plot and characters of the anime.
> 
> Given there's a month between the application to use the auditorium and the first performance there will be some time spent in that time skip, especially on Nozomi and Eli's relationship, given they have a disagreement that is not insignificant.
> 
> Writing the third year is proving to be an interesting experience, especially since it's very defined in comparison to the first two years. I hope to make a story that doesn't directly contradict the anime yet is significantly different.


	67. Chapter 67

“Meet your new big sister Eli!” Hitomi said as Eli returned to her nominal home. Hitomi’s tone was pleasant, the act she put on when others were watching. Soon it became evident why. Eli looked at Hitomi’s side and saw a small girl who could have been no older than fourteen.

“Hello big sister!” the small girl said as prompted, she seemed enthusiastic enough, though this kind of introduction upon her return home did make Eli nervous.

“And this is your younger sister, Alisa.” Hitomi explained quickly. “She’s new to Japan, so I hope she’ll adjust soon!” her voice was still pleasant. She even lowered her voice to say, “Eli has been in Japan for several years, so she’s used to life here. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to answer simple questions for you.”

“Nice to meet you, Alisa.” Eli responded, trying to sound equally pleasant and enthused.

“It’s late, Alisa, go to your room and sleep.” Hitomi suggested to the younger girl, who promptly obeyed.

Once Alisa was gone Eli didn’t even bother with the pretense of pleasantness anymore, “Are things so bad that we’re just outright recruiting children now?” asking the question directly.

“Oh don’t flatter yourself. The younger ones acquire language faster.” Hitomi said, clearly irritated, any pretense of pleasantness having been dropped from her tone as well. “No field experience, but she’ll probably work out. It’s not like she can be less effective than you. While you’re failing your mission with the Japanese girl you at least slept with her right? Sure, you’re useless as an operative, but maybe you aren’t actually completely useless if you can convince her to do that.”

“Actually that was done a while ago. She’s agreed on a trip to Russia after graduation, so we just need to finish out the year.” Eli reported. “Guess I can do something. Besides, Otonokizaka is about to close anyway.”’

“Pretending you’re getting something done? It will have only taken you three years for one girl. Besides, Otonokizaka is going to close no matter what you do, it was an assignment so easy even you could do it. I mean, you got the assignment because it’s basically impossible for you to fuck up.” Hitomi then smiled. “Don’t worry, it’s just a few more months. Who knows what we’ll do with you next? I’m sure we can send you to a hostess club or find some use for you.”

“I guess I’ll find out.” Eli said. It wasn’t that she hated Hitomi any less over the past several months with Nozomi, but she did find Hitomi’s favorite techniques to strike at her were becoming less effective. Eli was aware just a year ago this would have been enough to break her emotionally for a short time. Now it was an annoyance. With that Eli left for her own room.

\----

The next day after school Eli had gone to Nozomi’s apartment, explaining how she now had a sister as part of her cover. Then Nozomi’s phone vibrated. Nozomi picked it up and typed a response and hit the send button. “Who is texting you?” Eli asked out of curiousity.

“Angie.” Nozomi said flatly.

“After everything she’s done to you and she’s texting you?” Eli asked incredulously.

“Orders. They want to keep Angie on a short leash, and part of that is spending time with her as a friend to keep her from doing anything too self-destructive.” Nozomi explained.

“I don’t like it.” Eli admitted. “She has a way of getting into your head and giving you bad ideas.”

“The problem with Angie isn’t that she fills someone’s head with bad ideas, it’s that she fills your head with obvious truths you can’t counter and proposes the course of action she wants you to take as the only rational conclusion.” Nozomi replied.

“Does she tell you using those girls is acceptable?” Eli asked pointedly.

“The strategy is mine. Angie is only right about us needing more successful operations to prove ourselves as partners worth keeping together.” Nozomi explained. “Angie isn’t cleared to know about any specific plans. Besides, right now she’s gushing about some show she just watched. It’s harmless.”

“I still think she’s bad for you.” Eli concluded.

\----

A few days later after school in the student council room Eli spoke up. “Those girls have a song now, and a name. They’re calling themselves Muse. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?”

“Perhaps.” Nozomi replied noncommittally. “I do see the three of them at the shrine training, and so they go in and pray for success at their first concert. Their leader may not be brilliant or particularly talented, especially by Elichi’s standards, but her resolve is considerable.”

“If you would just tell them to go home and stop this nonsense it would end right now, just deny them the shrine grounds.” Eli then sighed, “Well, the rainy season will come soon enough, perhaps that will bring an end to things if you won’t.”

“I could likewise tell you your support would make them much more likely to succeed.” Nozomi countered. “Have you found another way yet?”

“I, I am thinking about it. Finding a solution to something like this is tricky. But I can get us into UTX for a short time if absolutely required.” Eli offered.

“Oh, you found a way in? And what good would that do us right now?” Nozomi asked. “There is nothing to be gained by infiltrating UTX right now.”

“Nevermind. Parfait later? Play dress up for a bit?” Eli asked, dropping the subject.

Nozomi offered an agreement, happy to once again delay a long conversation for another time.

\----

The maid café was as usual, as Nozomi and Eli walked in wearing suits and sunglasses and taking a seat off to the side. “I feel ridiculous every time I do this.” Nozomi commented, switching to Russian inside the café.

“It’s fine.” Eli said. Then one of the girls working took their order for parfaits. Eli looked at the girl as she left. “That is the director’s daughter.” she said, clearly identifying Kotori.

“Is it?” Nozomi asked. “Are you going to stop her here?” she asked.

“No.” Eli replied. “If she decides to be a maid that has its own risks, but at least she won’t be at risk as an idol.”

“That or you would prefer a way to profit off of her.” Nozomi said drily.

“I suppose that is true, why can’t it be both?” Eli asked.

"Just like you profit off A-RISE at the school idol shop you bought?" Nozomi asked next.

"Russians love irony. Maybe Hitomi will find out and find it amusing that her efforts are funding her demise." Eli said, laughing a little afterwards. Then the parfaits arrived and the conversation switched to the consumption of the parfaits, leaving the two mostly in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Covering a lot of background stuff early on for later.


	68. Chapter 68

Eli always observed from a distance, watching the girls calling themselves Muse promote themselves and distribute fliers. Certainly she had been tempted to intervene directly, but every time she considered it she stopped herself, _It will only embolden them._ After watching the girls from behind an arch for a short while, she walked back into the school, sighing once inside and no one was around to see her. _You’re doing the right thing._ she would think to reassure herself. _Maybe I’ll apologize to them one day once this is all over and I know they will be safe._ As the day of the Welcome Festival approached she felt an increased sense of dread.

The work of stopping Muse was lonely work for Eli. She understood if she succeeded, she would be loathed by the three girls as long as they lived. She also understood if they failed Nozomi would be willing to use them in her work. She would object to Nozomi regularly, but she would always ask if Eli had an alternative, to which Eli was unable to give an affirmative answer.

The night before the Welcome Festival, Eli was at Nozomi’s apartment. “Nozomi.” Eli began quietly. “Do you ever think what you’re planning to do is wrong?” she asked. “Ethically. That you shouldn’t do something even if it’s effective because of some ethical consideration?”

Nozomi sighed at the question. “Elichi, I do not like the idea any more than you do.” she admitted, her tone quiet as well. “I am not a cruel person who is willing to put people in danger without a reason, but if I have a reason and can mitigate the risks, then it is something I must do.”

“You talk about it like a calculation, like those girls would be acceptable losses if anything happened to them.” Eli objected, her voice growing sharp.

“It is a calculation.” Nozomi admitted, her voice still quiet. “I understand your feelings, that is why I have avoided asking for your help and allowing you to try and find another way. The world is complicated and cruel at times. People do good things for bad reasons, and bad things for good reasons. You want to break those girls’ resolve, emotionally hurt them, which many would consider a bad thing all to spare them from an even greater cruelty, which is a good reason. Similarly, I must be willing to consider the harm to those girls and willing to put them in a potentially harmful situation, which is also a bad thing, all to stop Hitomi, which is a good reason.”

“You make it sound so simple, like you can justify anything if it furthers your goals. That bad things don’t count if they’re for something you want.” Eli replied, the sharpness in her tone was not going away.

“And are you much different? You did plenty of bad things so that you could survive. You have even gone to significant lengths to protect the gains from those deeds.” Nozomi continued, her voice was calm, almost serene.

“I at least show remorse!” Eli snapped.

“Remorse alone is meaningless.” Nozomi continued. “But I understand. Have you considered why I am not stopping you?”

“What do you mean?” Eli asked, her tone now inquisitive, perplexed by Nozomi’s question.

“Have you considered why I allow you to impede those girls and allow you to work directly against my goals? Do you not find it strange that I have not put any considerable effort in dissuading you from your actions?” Nozomi asked.

“No.” Eli admitted quietly. “I didn’t think about that.”

“I want you to try and break them.” Nozomi admitted. “Not because I want them to fail, but if you can break their resolve, then I will know they do not have the resolve required to be used against Hitomi. If you can not break their resolve, then I will know they may have the required strength.”

“You are always in control somehow, aren’t you?” Eli asked rhetorically. Nozomi just responded with a small smile.

\----

The day of the Welcome Festival came. Eli arrived to school early that day, entering the auditorium and fixing a camera to the wall programmed to start recording after the school day ended. She sighed after it was affixed, then left to go about her day.

At the end of the day, in the student council room, Nozomi asked, “Are you worried about them?”

“Nozomi.” Eli replied quietly.

“I think I’ll go home.” Nozomi said next, smiling as she did so before walking out of the room.

Eli stood alone in the room, concerned, but she waited. She then took her phone out, looking at the time, _The performance should have started by now._ she thought. Then a couple more minutes passed and Eli didn’t hear any music playing from the auditorium. _Perhaps they gave up after all._ she thought as she went to leave the school.

Eli had almost left the school grounds when she first heard the music coming from the auditorium. She sighed and turned around to reenter the school. As she approached the auditorium she saw Nozomi standing outside. “Why am I not surprised you are here?” she asked.

“Do what you need to.” Nozomi said quietly, not offering any further objection as Eli walked into the room overlooking the stage with all the controls for the auditorium. Eli overlooked the nearly empty auditorium as she watched the girls perform on stage.

After the song was done Eli walked down the stairs, approaching the stage. “What are you going to do?” was the question she asked Honoka. She knew a direct confrontation would not work, instead favoring a question that may lead Honoka to the revelation Eli wanted her to have.

“We’ll keep going!” Honoka replied enthusiastically.

“Why? I don’t see any reason to continue.” Eli offered, trying to lead Honoka through her line of reasoning.

Honoka’s response, filled with optimism even in the face of what Eli considered to be a failure of a concert left Eli silenced instead, as she looked at the Japanese girl. Instead, she simply turned around and left. When she looked in the hall, Nozomi had gone. Instead Eli continued to the student council room, where she busied herself with her presidential duties for an hour before returning to the auditorium to retrieve the camera.

After a little editing, the camera she had planted had provided a sufficiently good view of a performance. “I’m sorry.” she said quietly as she uploaded the video. _I did not want to humiliate you like this._ she thought.

\----

Eli didn’t go to see Nozomi that night, instead returning to her nominal home, realizing that even at the later hour she was alone. She walked into Alisa’s room, and picked up the small media player the younger Russian girl had. She set up the media player to upload the performance there as well, but didn’t do it right away.

_Is this the right thing to do?_ Eli asked herself. That thought didn’t last for long as Eli suddenly smiled rather widely, having a new thought as she initiated putting the performance on Alisa’s device, _Fuck Hitomi._ she thought rather impulsively. The way the video was uploaded meant it would be the first thing Alisa saw the next time she used it.

She left Alisa’s room and went to her own. Normally she hated being in this home, but she was quite elated with having uploaded the video. She may have been working with Nozomi who wanted to work against Hitomi, but Eli was for the first time feeling the rush of performing an act, however minor, of direct defiance against the woman she loathed so much.

_I will be free of you, Hitomi._ Eli thought to herself for the rest of the night. _Even if I have to do it myself._

\----

Alisa was the first one home, which meant Eli had a moment alone with her. “Check your little player!” Eli said enthusiastically to the young girl. She went into her room and did so, smiling as she listened to the song Eli uploaded and watched the performance.

_Maybe this was a bad idea._ Eli admitted to herself, but then she smiled as she knelt down to be at Alisa’s eye level. “Now that we’re sisters we have to have a sisterly secret. Don’t tell Hitomi I gave you that, okay?” Alisa responded with a nod.  _Or perhaps not such a bad idea._ Eli concluded on seeing Alisa's reaction.


	69. Chapter 69

Eli woke up early the next day. It wasn’t that she enjoyed the task she set herself to, but she was determined to carry through with it. Even understanding her efforts were a part of Nozomi’s plans didn’t deter her. In a way, Eli felt some relief that Nozomi had explained her reasons to her a couple days before. _At least she is aware of the risks._ Eli told herself.

Once at Otonokizaka, Eli waited in the student council room for Nozomi to arrive. “Busy doing something for them again?” she asked Nozomi as she arrived. Nozomi only answered with a small shrug. “We’re talking to Director Minami after school.” she added. “I will assume you want to go with me.” Nozomi replied with a small smile and a nod.

\----

As Eli presented her case to Director Minami concerning school idol activities being detrimental, she had pleaded to be permitted to act on her own. “Besides, it seems they’re not entirely unpopular.” was the director’s response, a rebuttal to both requests, as she turned her laptop around to show Eli and Nozomi the video of the first Muse performance.

Eli’s eyes opened wide, staring at the screen.

“That’s from the concert.” Nozomi observed, walking next to Eli to get a better look at the screen.

“Somebody must have recorded it.” Director Minami observed.

Eli continued to watch the screen, somewhat shocked the video had come to her attention so soon, and not only that, her reaction to it was positive. Nozomi initially looked at the screen, then her eyes moved slightly to the right, watching Eli’s reactions more than the video itself.

\----

“Did it look familiar?” Nozomi asked Eli about the video on the way back to the student council room.

“I saw the end from the control room.” Eli explained quickly.

“I wonder, was Elichi so interested in a recording because she didn’t know one existed, or because she did?” Nozomi mused next.

“Such a strange question.” Eli replied quietly.

“It’s okay, Elichi. Perhaps now we will see who is right.” Nozomi suggested.

“What does that mean?” Eli asked as they reached the student council room.

Nozomi smiled a little, “If they are popular, it means we should proceed with my plan. If not, we can consider alternatives.”

“How courteous of you.” Eli replied in a flat tone. “Even with the director’s blessing, I’m still not approving them as a club, and the rainy season begins soon. Perhaps their resolve will dampen.”

Nozomi shrugged with this, “It’s fine. If rain is what breaks them I will accept it.”

\----

Nozomi went to the shrine after that. As she was sweeping she made a point to read the prayer boards as she was near them. Where a year ago Otonokizaka was far from the students’ thoughts, now they were more prominent. It was only a day later and she saw three separate boards expressing support for Muse. Nozomi smiled as she went back to her duties.

Once home Nozomi took out her phone, sending out a pair of messages to two separate numbers. <Will you be here in a month?> and <Did you receive the delivery coordinates?> Soon after she received affirmative replies to both.

_I know you’re scared, Elichi._ Nozomi thought to herself. _We’ll be ready for when you decide._

\----

The next evening Eli was at Nozomi’s apartment, which wasn’t itself unusual by now. “I don’t know if this complicates anything, but Hitomi now has a fourteen year old girl playing the role of my younger sister.” she explained to Nozomi.

“You weren’t much older when you started, but weren’t you sixteen when they started putting you in operations?” Nozomi asked.

“I even said that to Hitomi.” Eli admitted. “My training was very limited, I can’t imagine what is happening if they’re relying on even younger people now.”

Nozomi didn’t say anything right away, “It is possible they are in a hurry. They seem to favor larger numbers of lower skilled operatives when it comes to Japan. If I were to advocate such a strategy, it would be on the assumption most would fail and not amount to anything, but that doesn’t matter since training them is not particularly taxing on resources. Instead, I would think of the payoff if I could get just a few installed in decent positions with sympathies towards my organization.”

Eli didn’t say anything, instead it was Nozomi who continued speaking, “Hitomi is not dangerous as an individual, Elichi. As two people, you can contend with her. The reason why you fear her is not her, but the resources she commands.”

“Do you even know what those resources are?” Eli asked, “You talk about it like it’s an academic topic, that it doesn’t matter in reality.”

“I would assume she has the resources of UTX largely at her disposal, a school idol group she’s grooming to become a professional act. Those are her soft resources.” Then Nozomi paused and added, “Tell me, does she have the authority to order a strike on a target with force?”

Eli shrugged at first. “I’m… I think so?” she said, lacking confidence in her answer. “It stands to reason, at least. She said if I ran she’d make sure I wouldn’t live to regret the decision, but she only ever went that far a couple times since I’ve arrived here.”

“I wonder what those resources are.” Nozomi said. “But if you have reason to believe she has that authority, and she’s using Russian assets, I would guess a Spetsnaz team. Which is pretty bad.”

“Unless you have someone with a name they fear and instantly surrender to like in one of your shows.” Eli replied drily.

Nozomi smiled in response but only said, “It will be okay, Elichi. I will support your choices.”


	70. Chapter 70

“I don’t know this kanji.” Alisa said to Eli. The younger Russian girl was sitting at her desk in her bedroom going over her Japanese homework, while Eli was standing next to her.

“Did they not teach you kanji in language school?” Eli asked. She had taken to assisting Alisa with homework when she could, between all of her other duties, but she also never failed to try and ask a couple questions about Alisa when an opportunity presented itself.

“They taught us some.” Alisa replied, “But most of the training was conversational. They only had three months to teach us.”

Eli shook her head and smiled, “Back when I started, we had six. Kanji is a bit difficult, but don’t worry, since you look foreign no one will be too surprised if you don’t know every Kanji.” Then Eli asked, in Russian, “Would it be easier if I answered this way?”

Alisa shook her head, “No! Don’t say that! Mother will be angry if she hears me speaking Russian!”

Eli sighed, “It’s okay.” she said, switching back to Japanese. “Are you liking Japan so far? Are you making friends?”

“It’s nice here. I sometimes get people looking at me because I’m not Japanese looking but sometimes I also get told I’m pretty, which is nice too!” Alisa answered, at first she was hesitant, but she ended with a smile.

“I get that too.” Eli admits. “Just make sure people don’t become friends with you just because of your looks, they don’t like you if that’s their reason.”

Alisa nodded enthusiastically and added with another smile, “I’m glad I’m with you. I was worried when I was told I would have a big sister that was also from Russia, and I didn’t know what that would be like, and I know you have to do things, but you still make time to help me when you can!”

 “It’s what a big sister does.” Eli replied with a smile.

“But we aren’t really sisters.” Alisa objected.

“I know, but since you’re here I’ll give you a little wisdom I’ve learned from being in Japan for six years.” Eli started, her voice then went to a higher pitch, “Family is about the bonds you form with someone, not whether or not they are of your blood.” Then Eli lowered her pitch back to normal, “It took many years and someone special to teach me that.”

“I’ve met a couple friends in school so far, can they be my family too?” Alisa asked.

“Maybe.” Eli granted, “But it’s something you’ll understand once you’ve been here for a while longer.”

\----

“Alisa’s Kanji is terrible.” Eli commented to Nozomi the next morning in the student council room. “Really bad. They’re only teaching conversational Japanese now.”

“So you think I’m right about their strategy?” Nozomi asked.

“You aren’t wrong, but I also noticed something really interesting.” Eli continued.

“What’s that?” Nozomi asked, seeming interested in Eli’s observations.

“Alisa doesn’t seem to have any ideology.” Eli said flatly.

“It’s not like you have an ideology either.” Nozomi pointed out.

“No, it’s different.” Eli insisted. “I don’t have an ideology in the sense that I assisted them for money, but I didn’t find the objectives given incompatible with anything I was taught. Alisa is different. It’s like they didn’t tell her anything more than go to Japan, live with us, and be a Japanese student. It’s like she doesn’t even know why she’s there.”

“That is a little strange.” Nozomi admitted. “You should probably file that in a report somewhere, because it sounds important, especially since you are living with her.”

“Fine. Fine.” Eli replied, less than enthusiastic about being told to fill out paperwork. “Admittedly I don’t mind having her around. Hitomi seems interested in being pleasant when Alisa is nearby.”

“Sounds like they’re leaving the ideology for later.” Nozomi suggested.

“I know exactly when Hitomi will provide that ideology too.” Eli said flatly, like she just came upon the answer herself.

“Oh? When would that be?” Nozomi asked.

“Late in the year. The one piece of ideology they love to teach Russians living in Japan. When they cover the Russo-Japanese War in their history class, it’s a great time for Hitomi to teach how Alisa should feel about it as a Russian.” Eli explained.

“The one that convinced you.” Nozomi added.

“Yeah.” Eli admitted quietly. “It’s pretty effective when done right.”

“Did you ever change your passcode?” Nozomi asked.

“I don’t know what else to change it to.” Eli admitted.

“A random number would work just as well.” Nozomi suggested, “It would probably be safer than a symbolic date.”

“I’ll figure something out.” Eli concluded.

\----

“Recent reports indicate the evolution of a new tactic on the part of the enemy.” Sasaki reported over the phone. “A large number of unskilled operatives to overcome our ability to apprehend them. Naturally, since they are all unskilled, they would need direction from someone experienced, if we would eliminate the source of that direction we could incapacitate most of the inexperienced operatives ability to cause any significant harm.”

“And by eliminate the source of that direction you have a plan?” the older man’s voice asked over the phone.

“We know the operative referred to as Hitomi is a significant figure. We also know that in most situations we would not be able to send anyone to eliminate her.” Sasaki continued. “With one exception.”

“We are not executing such a plan. Even if viable, the political costs would be too great.” the older man replied.

“A couple days of training and Eli Ayase would be able to execute the operation. Getting to close range would not be an issue given they live in the same place.” Sasaki argued. “We badly need time right now, and eliminating her would give us at least a few months while they brought in a replacement.”

“She would certainly be lost to us, as we would be unable to assist her after she is caught.” the older man said, his voice was calm as it usually was in these situations.

“She’s not even one of ours.” Sasaki continued. “A small cost.”

“You fail to consider if it were discovered we put the weapon in Ayase’s hands it would certainly cost us Natsuko. Sergei and Angie would object as well were this discovered.” was the reply Sasaki received.

“Then what do you propose?” Sasaki asked.

“Natsuko reports she is enacting a plan which may be able to achieve all objectives without undue risk to our assets.” the older man answered.

“That plan is high risk and you know it.” Sasaki insisted, not letting the argument drop.

“Develop the plan.” the older man finally said, “But it is not to be enacted without my explicit order. The political situation is too tenuous to make the decision without all due consideration.”

Then the line went dead. Sasaki was fuming, but at least he had permission to develop the plan instead of being told it was unthinkable as might have happened previously.


	71. Chapter 71

“There’s six of them now.” Eli said flatly to Nozomi in the student council room. She was exasperated, but not overly concerned. “They’re certainly persistent.”

“The Kousaka girl has a boundless enthusiasm that allows her to overcome almost any setbacks.” Nozomi replied. “And just so we’re clear, unlike someone else with boundless enthusiasm you can not use flashbangs this time.”

Eli laughed a little at Nozomi’s reply. “I wonder what she was like as a teenager.” Then Eli paused and asked, “Any chance you know if the Kousaka girl has a sister?”

“I think I overheard them mentioning a Yukiho at the shrine a couple times, in context it could be a sister or family member.” Nozomi answered.

“Alisa mentioned making a friend by the name.” Eli explained.

“Is having a younger sister growing on Elichi?” Nozomi asked with a small smile.

“She isn’t that bad, really.” Eli admitted. “I mean, sure, I understand she’s going to be asked to do something unpleasant soon, but I think that’s a few months away yet.”

“You don’t want her to do this, do you?” Nozomi asked, “For the same reason you object to my plans.”

“If she must have this life, I would prefer she chose it knowing what she was choosing, unlike me.” Eli said quietly.

“It’s okay, it’s how they work, they make it seem so easy to go a step further, or the agreement was altered a little but you’ll be provided with what you wanted so it’s okay.” Nozomi agreed. “I think it’s admirable Elichi has ideals and wants to stand by them.” Then she paused and smiled, “Even if they are a little inconvenient sometimes.”

“You’re jealous I have ideals?” Eli asked, puzzled by Nozomi’s proclamation.

“I wouldn’t say jealous. Having ideals you seek to not violate in this world is difficult and trying even for people who are not asked to perform tasks like ours.” Nozomi explained. “Elichi has grown and seen that the thing she thought she wanted most in this world is not as valuable as believing in something important.”

“Did you ever feel like you were tricked into this?” Eli asked next. “I mean, Angie is highly manipulative and knew exactly what to say to you to make you do what she wanted.”

Nozomi offered a shrug, “Angie has many problems, but she generally doesn’t lie. It’s actually what makes her so difficult to resist. She’ll omit information and neglect to mention alternatives if she wants you to do something, but lying is not something she does. To her, it’s easy to resist someone if you think they’re lying, it’s much harder to resist someone’s reasoning if you know they’re informing you of facts which are true.” Then she smiled, “Angie didn’t really hide from me that I was signing up for something difficult and life consuming, but it really did feel like the only way to have a life that didn’t feel planned out in advance.”

“It’s like you’re defending her.” Eli said flatly.

“It’s… complicated.” Nozomi admitted. “It’s hard for me to think of her as a truly bad person, and I do understand her feelings.”

“She pointed a gun at me fully willing to use it, fucks with your head, and you’re just willing to forgive her like that? She’s bad for you, Nozomi.” Eli said, her tone more stern now.

“Like I said, it’s complicated. We got past our issues, why is she impossible?” Nozomi asked.

“Just be careful, okay, Nozomi? I worry about you with her.” Eli pleaded.

“Okay.” Nozomi agreed.

\----

“How is your girlfriend anyway, Natsuko?” Angie asked. Nozomi was meeting with her at a restaurant a couple days later.

“She really doesn’t like you.” Nozomi replied. “Just, is it done?”

“Everything you ever wanted! I was even so thoughtful as to bring your personal favorites. Do you know how hard it was to get those?” Angie asked. “Just don’t leave me out of the fun, promise?”

“Thanks.” Nozomi said flatly. “And don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of leaving you out of this.”

“Are you sure your girlfriend will be okay with this? I mean, I don’t want you two to fight on my account.” Angie asked next.

“She will have to be.” Nozomi answered quietly.

“Are you telling her about this?” Angie asked next.

“Of course not, she’s grown enough of a conscience that if she knew she would act recklessly.” Nozomi answered. “She’ll find out when she needs to.”

“Ever so thoughtful, Natsuko, considering her feelings in operational planning. I never thought I’d see that out of you!” Angie said with a bright smile now. Then she lowered her tone, “Just… be careful, okay? I think Sasaki is at any time thirty minutes away from giving your girlfriend a weapon and telling her she knows what to do. So you might want to hurry on this one.”

“It will happen when it happens, Angie.” Nozomi replied before the two went back to their meals.


	72. Chapter 72

Once again Eli had rejected Muse’s request to be recognized as an official club, this time on the basis of a similar club already existing. Nozomi mentioned the possibility of a merging of the two clubs, and the members of Muse present left.

“It will be okay, Elichi.” Nozomi said after she was alone with Eli. “I know you are still looking for another way, and if you find one we can consider it as an option.” Then she paused and added quietly, “But please, Elichi, do not do anything reckless without telling me first. I am doing this so we can stay together after this year is over, so please do not do anything that would harm yourself.”

“Are you more distant from them?” Eli asked, “Is it why you are willing to put them in danger, but not me?” her latter question was with a much sharper tone.

“If I am guiding them, we can protect them. Hitomi will not directly harm them. I know her type, she will abide by that.” Nozomi insisted.

“How exactly do you know that?” Eli replied, asking a common question when this topic came up between the two.

“There are rules. Those include rules about avoiding unnecessary harm to those not involved.” Nozomi explained, similar to how she usually explained it. “She’s bound to them, because Japan is still generally hostile to her. It’s why we could surrender to police and be sure we would be released quickly. Hitomi does not have that option, so she would do everything she can to avoid official attention of any kind.”

“It still sounds like it’s easier to risk them since you don’t know them particularly well.” Eli said quietly.

“They want to be school idols, Elichi. To be a school idol will mean facing A-RISE. I am only trying to give them what they want while minimizing the risks to them. If we were not here, they would still try to form the group, and they would have to compete against A-RISE.” Nozomi explained. “We can protect them.”

“This is going nowhere, again.” Eli finally said. “I have another meeting I need to go to.” she said, standing up and leaving.

Nozomi sighed quietly, but waited a few minutes before leaving for the current idol club room.

\----

“I’m just a friend, Miss Matsuoka.” Sasaki explained when Eli asked who he was, sitting at a bar with her.

“And what do you want?” Eli asked, her question short and direct.

“I heard a woman like you was available. I wanted to see if this was true.” Sasaki replied.

“I’m not.” Eli replied, not bothering with formalities.

“Are you sure? I heard you specialize in dealing with Russians, and I had some rather good information you would be interested in.” Sasaki suggested.

“And your price for this information?” Eli inquired.

“No price for it, I just want you to think about it.” Sasaki answered.

“Then what is it?” Eli asked. “If you want to tell me something then say it so I can be done here, I’m busy.”

“I’m sure you are.” Sasaki agreed. “I heard there was a Russian operative by the name of Hitomi in the city.” Eli’s eyes widened as he said this, but she didn’t interject. “She is involved with UTX and has her own private office.”

“And your point?” Eli interjected, making a point to act irriated.

“I’m just here to offer you the blueprints for the building. They’re quite interesting. Hitomi has her own private office, but even more interesting is how there is a hidden series of passages in the building that lead to a second way into the office.” Sasaki explained, placing a small USB drive onto the bar in front of Eli. “I thought it might be valuable to you.”

“I’ll look at it.” Eli answered, taking the gift placed in front of her.

\----

Eli left the bar for her apartment. Once there she took out a laptop and inserted the USB drive, starting to look over the pictures. While she wasn’t particularly good at reading the blueprints, the files she had highlighted the passage to Hitomi’s office. _It might not be a third way entirely, but if I could give Nozomi access to Hitomi’s files it would certainly be worth something._ Eli considered.

 _Would Nozomi allow this?_ Eli asked herself next, but after some deliberation realized she didn’t know the answer to that question. Eventually she decided to continue looking over the blueprints, the question if this would be enough for Nozomi to stop supporting Muse could wait until later.

\----

A couple days had passed, and Eli was once again in the student council room. She saw that the current idol club had added the Muse members. After Nozomi mentioned idly that the rain had stopped, Eli thought about what she should say to her about the files she received a couple days prior. She then realized she didn’t have a plan for how to talk to Nozomi about it, instead opting to remain quiet for now. _It’s fine as long as I don’t do anything yet. I need to tell her soon. Though perhaps I should try and see if I can find some UTX uniforms for us first to show I have a good alternative._ With that thought Eli stood up to leave for class.


	73. Chapter 73

“Hanae!” Eli said enthusiastically, she was dressed in her suit near UTX after school, shouting to the girl she had recruited in the past. “I missed you, how are you today?” There was no urgent student council business that needed attended to, and Nozomi was busy filming the clubs for a promotional video for Otonokizaka.

“Keiko?” Hanae asked, stopping suddenly upon hearing that name and looking towards that source.

Eli walked towards her and smiled, “I know it’s been a couple months, but I missed you!” She made a point to sound as enthusiastic as she could manage.

“It’s so strange, seeing you dressed like that and super cheerful on top of it. Actually you being enthusiastic kind of surprised me, wonder where you got it from?” Hanae asked, laughing afterwards, seeming happy to spend time with Eli.

Eli paused for a moment before responding, _I sound like Angie right now, don’t I?_ she reflected suddenly, but covered it up with more enthusiasm, “I know it’s kind of sudden, but you didn’t seem busy today. I wanted to know if you wanted to go to karaoke with me? I didn’t know who you listened to these days so I didn’t think to get concert tickets.” The last sentence said with a bit of apology to it.

“Oh, it’s okay. I think I can make time today.” Hanae agreed.

\----

Eli took Hanae to the school idol karaoke place she had taken Nozomi to previously, renting a room and leading Hanae to it.

“Oh, it’s nice in here! I didn’t know they made a place like this just for school idols now!” Hanae said enthusiastically.

“I discovered it some time ago after school idols became popular.” Eli replied. “I like it well enough. Would you like to try a song?”

“Sure!” Hanae said, going through the selection, “Oh, they have A-RISE here! And we just made Private Wars not too long ago and they have that already?” she said excitedly. “I get to work with those girls all the time but I’m only support staff so I don’t really get to try to sing.”

Eli smiled brightly, “Go ahead, try it!” she encouraged the girl. With that Hanae started the song and started to sing. She was passable for a karaoke act, but it was obvious to Eli why she was support staff for A-RISE and not a performer. “You did great!” Eli said after she finished.

“You should try it!” Hanae suggested. “You were always amazing at this.”

“Okay.” Eli said with a small smile as she started the song herself. She had managed to watch the video of the group playing in the background and with a couple previous viewings had a good command of her choreography so when the song started she started to perform it, both the song and the dance.

“You’re as amazing as ever!” Hanae said after Eli finished, offering excited applause.

“I suppose I am.” Eli said with a small smile.

The two continued to go through other songs, Hanae always excited whenever Eli performed. _She hasn’t really changed, has she?_ Eli thought.

Eventually Eli, before another song asks, “Hanae, do you think you can get me a couple UTX uniforms and some passes? I’d like to pay the school a visit.”

“I don’t know, I could get in trouble if I got caught getting you a way past the entrance.” Hanae said a little nervously.

“Please, Hanae?” Eli asked. “I’d really like to visit.” Then Eli offered another smile, “I’ll go to another concert with you, it’ll be just like it used to be!” she offered.

Hanae hesitated and for about thirty seconds didn’t say anything, obviously nervous, “Okay, I’ll get you something. What sizes do you need?” she asked.

“I’ll send you the measurements.” Eli said, and with that Eli started to perform another song.

\----

It was late in the evening when Eli returned to the home, but noticed Alisa was alone again. Hitomi seemed to be staying out later consistently. Not that Eli minded, the less time spent near here the better as far as she was concerned.

“Big sister!” Alisa said excitedly upon hearing Eli enter the home. She ran up and gave Eli a hug.

“Did you have a good day?” Eli asked with a smile, this one, unlike the ones with Hanae, weren’t forced.

“I did! And I saw the file of you dancing that you snuck onto my player!” Alisa continued. “I didn’t know you could dance like that! It was amazing!” the girl who was supposed to be Eli’s younger sibling was quite enthusiastic.

“That’s very ncie of you to say, Alisa.” Eli replied. “Did you need any help with your homework?” she asked.

“I’m having a little trouble with math.” Alisa admitted, “But big sister knows all of that so you’ll help me, right?”

Eli smiled again, “Of course.”

\----

After a while of studying, Alisa looked up and asked, “Big sister, do you have a family back home?”

Eli’s eyes opened wide, it was a question that not even Nozomi broached. Then she smiled and said, “I suppose not. I haven’t seen them in about eight years. I’m not sure I could face them again, even if I could go back to Russia and find them.”

Then Alisa offer a smile, Eli noticed it wasn’t the regular kind Alisa used when talking to her, but a more devious one. “Since you shared a secret with me, I’ll share one with you, big sister.” Alisa began. “I can still talk to my grandmother.” She then reached into her desk and pulled out a small flip phone, “With this!” Then she paused, the smile going away and Alisa’s tone became quieter, “It’s okay if big sister can’t be with her original family anymore, but now you have a little sister. If you want you can share my grandma with me. I told her you’re such a good big sister and I’m sure she’d be happy to be your grandma.”

Eli felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, and then she smiled, “That’s very kind of you Alisa. I’ll keep your secret too. I’d love to share a grandmother with you.” Then Eli gave Alisa a hug.


	74. Chapter 74

Eli had been alone quite a bit recently. It couldn’t be helped, Nozomi was busy helping Muse study for their finals, as that had been the condition laid out for them to participate in the Love Live. She came home early soon after classes were over, soon enough that not even Alisa was home yet. Eli took the opportunity to enter Alisa’s room and took the flip phone from where Alisa had shown her it was hidden. She then went to her own room and opened it, seeing a single number programmed into it. With that she selected the number and dialed.

“Hello?” the voice asked in Japanese. It was clearly an older woman.

“Hello?” Eli echoed the greeting.

“You must be Eli Ayase. Alisa had mentioned you. Or rather, I should say the woman cast to play the role of Eli Ayase.” the woman’s voice said.

“I am her.” Eli affirmed.

“Alisa speaks well of you. I hope she is not any trouble. I know you are there to make sure Otonokizaka closes, but I also know you speak of trying to keep it open.” the voice continued.

“Of course I will keep Otonokizaka open, I am the student council president.” Eli explained, going to her standard respond when anyone suggested she was doing otherwise.

“Are you alone?” the voice asked next.

“For now, yes.” Eli said quietly.

“Drop the act then.” The woman’s voice was sharp suddenly. “I have a few important things to say to you and I hope you listen. Alisa speaks well of you, and so I am forced to trust her judgment.”

“What is it?” Eli asked.

“I know you’re supposed to make sure Otonokizaka closes, that’s what your role exists for. From what Alisa says it sounds like you do not like the task given to you.” the woman’s voice said.

“And let’s assume any of this is true, where did you learn about this?” Eli asked next.

“This is Russia, you are old enough to know that you spread enough money around and people will tell you all kinds of interesting things.” The woman’s voice then seemed amused, “My husband used to work for them, and I know how quick they are to throw away those who disappoint. I also know you’re stuck dealing with that wretched woman who calls herself Hitomi.”

“And what makes you think I won’t report this?” Eli asked next, her tone growing sharper and her speech quickly.

“As an act of good faith, I will give you Hitomi’s name. You can research it yourself, decide if I am reliable, and then we can speak again.” the woman’s voice answered.

“And what do you want in return?” Eli asked, skeptical.

“Keep Alisa safe. I had to bribe many people to get her placed that close to you, and I would prefer my granddaughter not be harmed.” The woman continued to explain.

 “You sent your own granddaughter as a pawn for some petty revenge?” Eli asked, clearly irritated. “You’re disgusting.”

“It was a terrible thing to do, but Hitomi needs to be stopped. My husband is gone, I am too old, and all I could do was send my granddaughter in the hope that she would lead to us making contact.” The woman explained. “I’m sorry, and I understand if you do not forgive me for using my granddaughter this way, but please use the information wisely, and I trust you to protect Alisa.”

“What is your name?” Eli asked.

“You can refer to me as grandmother, it will avoid you sounding suspicious if anyone asks about me.” the woman answered.

After a few minutes of explanation, the line went dead and Eli returned the phone to the room. She then got out her normal phone and texted to Nozomi, <I know you’re busy, but we need to talk. Tonight.>

<I’ll see you soon.> was the reply Eli received.

\----

It was later in the evening when Eli made it to Nozomi’s apartment. Nozomi let her in much like usual. “What is wrong, Elichi? Normally you do not treat things as this urgent.”

“I need you to get answers on a name.” Eli explained. “I have reason to believe it’s Hitomi’s actual name.”

Nozomi’s eyes widened at this, “You have been busy.” she declared.

“I have more.” Eli said. “Someone else gave me the floor plans to UTX. Hitomi’s office has a back entrance.” she explained, handing over a copy of the files she had received.

Nozomi loaded the information on her laptop, then after a couple minutes, “Who gave you this, Elichi?” she asked. “These are not part of the official UTX floor plans.”

“Someone came up to Keiko with them. I’m not sure what they are, but I thought if we could get into Hitomi’s office, and we have her name, we would be able to do something about her that did not risk those girls.” Eli explained. “We have another way.” she insisted. “There’s no need to use those girls.”

“There is one problem with these plans, Elichi. Who told you they were an entrance? This is an escape route. It could probably be used as an entrance but that would be much more difficult. Besides, how would we be able to move around UTX freely?” Nozomi asked, critical of the idea.

“I have someone who provided me uniforms and passes to get in.” Eli explained. “You were busy with those girls, so I did a little work on my own.”

“You have improved greatly, Elichi.” Nozomi said with a smile. “I do not think this is enough to stop helping Muse, but we may be able to use this information as leverage to protect them.”

“How?” Eli asked. “If we get enough information on Hitomi we won’t need those girls, right?”

“We need to stop her, not just gather information. However-“ Nozomi then smiled at this, “if she makes any effort to even appear to wish them harm the threat of exposing the information would be sufficient to at least make sure she focuses on us, and not on the girls. Which I do not think you find as objectionable. You did well, Elichi.” she said, to which Eli agreed.

After that Eli and Nozomi discussed specifics of the floor plans and entrance routes. After Eli left Nozomi sent out a text, <I have a name I need you to look up, ex-KGB, woman, likely First Directorate.>

Nozomi smiled as she received the reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who were worried that I was going for a Poor Communication Kills scenario, I hope these scenes help assure you that isn't the case. I actually rather dislike most uses of the trope, and really, it'd make sense after over a year of building trust with each other and Eli realizing Nozomi was reliable that she would try to share the information, even if it can't be used immediately or exactly how Eli wants.
> 
> Hopefully I'll be able to get a couple more chapters out before this weekend, I'm rather excited to be writing this part.


	75. Chapter 75

Nozomi had gone back to helping Muse study after the previous night’s meeting. Eli had to admit to herself that once again she missed spending time with Nozomi that wasn’t work related, but it couldn’t be helped right now.

With that, Eli left the student council room for the gate, planning on meeting Alisa there. As she walked out she saw Alisa speaking with Umi, “Alisa!” she greeted.

“Big sister!” Alisa greeted back enthusiastically.

While Umi was thanking her for uploading the video of the first performance, Eli hesitated. _They have come far. Maybe Nozomi is right, we could protect them._ she thought. Then she doubted those thoughts. _No. It should be Nozomi and I dealing with Hitomi, not this girl._ Finally she concluded, _Even if she hates me forever, at least I will know she was safe from a danger she never knew about._ It was then she interjected, “Stop.” After a brief interjection by Umi she continued, “If anything, it was the opposite. I wanted to show you just how bad your singing and dancing was. I wanted to show you there was no reason for you to continue. That’s why this situation is so unexpected. You should have disbanded, but you gained members. I won’t accept this.” Eli continued, a part of her felt terrible for saying these things so directly. The idea of breaking a child was abhorrent to her, but the idea of using children as pawns in a world they did not comprehend was even more so.

_This is why Nozomi chooses to avoid questions of conscience._ Eli realized. _No matter what I continue to say, I will feel terrible. I will have broken a girl’s dream, or I will put her in danger. Making a simple calculation would be easier._ Umi was insistent, she wanted Eli to recognize Muse. It didn’t matter to Eli at that point, she had made her decision. Umi would continue to object as she left with Alisa.

Once Eli made it home with Alisa, she first checked to make sure Hitomi was not present. Then she offered a smile to Alisa, “You need to do your homework. Go on ahead, I’ll be there to help you later.” Alisa smiled and ran off to her room. Eli, for her part, went to her own room, not bothering to turn on the lights and looking upwards at the ceiling. As she thought about the things she said to Umi, a couple tears began to well in her eyes. She hated the role she had taken. Perhaps Nozomi was right, perhaps if she would assist Muse she could protect them with Nozomi.

That didn’t offer a solution to the more immediate question, however. The threat of Hitomi should she openly support Muse. Nozomi had pointed out that Hitomi could likely retaliate in a horrific manner against those who opposed her openly, in both overt and covert ways. Nozomi said a unit of Spetsnaz soldiers was a possibilities. They were the kind of soldiers Eli remembered hearing about in her youth. The ones who fought in special operations. Just one of them would be enough to kill her, let alone an entire unit. Eli instead looked to the ceiling. She didn’t cry, but the tears sat in her eyes, obscuring her vision even more than the dark room itself.

\----

Even after exams, things did not get better for Eli. The threat of Otonokizaka closing had become imminent, an event that could no longer be put off. To that end she finally convinced Director Minami to allow the student council to act. There would be constant meetings to put together a series of events to bring attention to the school, Eli constantly worked on speeches that she hoped would persuade prospective students to consider the school.

One of the evenings, she had assembled Alisa and a couple of her friends to listen to her. None of them were particularly interested in the speech, but it was when Alisa asked a simple question that gave Eli pause, “Is this what you want to do?” It was a question which had stunned Eli into silence, one that she couldn’t answer. She wanted to keep the school open, but she knew the answer to the question. She wanted to trust Nozomi’s belief that the girls of Muse could be protected from Hitomi. She wanted to be able to act in open defiance of the woman she loathed for the past three years. She was willing to trust Nozomi’s judgment. It was not that she liked the idea of using children, but she did want to help them rather than attempt to crush their spirits.

The next morning when the second year students of Muse asked Eli to teach them to dance, she had relented and accepted.

“It appears the stars have begun to move.” Nozomi said to Eli quietly after the girls left.

“I can’t openly defy Hitomi, but if I can justify the lesson as an effort to break them perhaps it will appear acceptable.” Eli replied quietly. “Nozomi, I am willing to believe you can protect them, but once I move, if Hitomi retaliates, will you be able to protect us?” Her tone made it obvious to Nozomi that her girlfriend was frightened.

Nozomi smiled, “I will do anything to protect Elichi!”

\----

The afternoon began with Eli’s dance lesson. She had mentally prepared herself to do this, knowing her assistance would need to appear nearly cruel to protect her should Hitomi discover her activities. The exercises she subjected Muse to were legitimate, but she demanded far more out of them than she normally would to those who were new students. When she was done and ready to leave, she knew she had failed to break their resolve, but she was even more shocked when Honoka asked for another lesson tomorrow. She didn’t respond, and instead left silently.

Eli then came home to Alisa, who she noticed was listening to Muse. Alisa’s love of them was obvious, even as Eli criticized them. She silently went to her room. Eli didn’t know what she’d do about the request to teach Muse again tomorrow. She was on her back in her bed, trying to relax. Eli wasn’t entirely sure how much time had passed, she was pretty sure she heard Hitomi arrive at some point, but exactly when was unclear to her.

Then she heard a scream of pain from Alisa. Eli suddenly got out of bed and went into the main room, where she heard the sound. It was evident what had happened, Hitomi’s palm was open and Alisa had a noticeable red spot on her left cheek.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, listening to this garbage, who gave it to you?” Hitomi was screaming at Alisa in Russian. Eli could clearly hear from the media player Alisa had it was a Muse song playing.

Regardless of Eli’s feelings about Muse, regardless of whatever it was Eli feared, suddenly all of that had gone away. “Back the fuck off.” Eli said in a flat, but loud, voice. She had not only switched to speaking Russian, but was making a point to use the informal form, as well as amplifying her Far East Russian dialect.

Hitomi stood to her full height, facing Eli. Her voice was calm, but it was obvious to anyone she was angry. “What did you just say to me?” she asked.

“I said back the fuck off.” Eli repeated.

“I can have you disposed of whenever I want, you ungrateful piece of shit, and you think to say that to me in my own home?” Hitomi started walking to Eli.

“Alisa.” Eli said quietly, switching back to a more polite Russian form for a moment, “Go visit Yukiho. Tell her you need to stay there tonight and Hitomi had to go to the hospital.” Alisa’s eyes opened widely, but she ran off without any questions, seeming to understand what Eli said. Then she switched back to the vulgar Russian she had been using, “Hitomi. Alisa is fucking off limits. Do you understand that. Is my dialect too fucking obtuse for you? Or are you just a dumb bitch who can’t even hire an assassin properly? I bet you were the laughingstock of your coworkers after you fucked up the assassination of an unarmed man.” Eli made a point to visibly laugh at this.

“Eli Ayase. You have two choices. Run, or die.” Hitomi said, her voice full of tranquil fury.

“Even if I ran, you’d still kill me. I bet you can’t do shit without people with assault rifles following your orders.” Eli continued, her tone clearly mocking, a taunt.

It was then Hitomi raised her right hand in an open palm to slap Eli. Right as Hitomi’s arm was fully raised, Eli’s body began to move. First her right foot moved forward, at the same time her arm began to extend, her palm open. Just like Nozomi taught. Just like she had practiced a thousand times since she was taught it. The one technique Nozomi taught her. She then rotated her hips just as she was taught, putting the entire force of her body behind her right palm, which headed straight to Hitomi’s chin.

It was over in an instant, the palm had made contact and knocked Hitomi to the ground on her back. Hitomi only lost consciousness for a second, but it was enough time for Eli to sit atop the older woman's legs. Once she was in position, she used the same technique on Hitomi again, this time on her abdomen.

Eli saw Hitomi’s arm go behind her back, but all she could think about doing was repeating the technique over and over again. If Hitomi’s eyes opened, she would deliver a strike to the jaw, if they were closed, they continued to use the technique against Hitomi’s abdomen. Eli lost track of how many times she used the technique quickly, but it was soon evident that Hitomi was starting to bleed from her mouth, as some teeth were becoming dislodged, and she would occasionally cough up blood.

It was no longer a fight, if it ever was one in the first place. Instead it was replaced by an almost primal assault on Eli’s part. Once she became too tired to use the technique properly anymore, the next time Hitomi opened her eyes she put her right index and middle fingers together and jammed them into Hitomi’s left eye, after which Hitomi no longer opened her eyes.

Eli wasn’t sure how long this continued, only that she was becoming tired and that Hitomi was starting to be covered in her own blood.

“Did you enjoy it, bitch? My support will be here in five minutes. You’re dead.” Hitomi finally said. Her hand moving from behind her back to reveal a phone that had several messages sent from it since Eli started.

Eli’s eyes widened as she got up quickly, picked up her phone and left for Nozomi’s apartment.

\----

Travelling gave Eli some time to relax, even as she looked out of place in her nightclothes. Soon enough she was at Nozomi’s, once in she said, “I just assaulted Hitomi. She’s sending everyone after me. I don’t know what to do.” she was now panicked. As cathartic as it was earlier with Hitomi, it was now replaced with fear of Hitomi’s retaliation.

“Eli. I need your phone.” Nozomi said, she was still dressed in her Otonokizaka uniform, but she was surprisingly calm about the situation.

“Why?” Eli asked impulsively.

“No time. Now!” Nozomi demanded. With that Eli handed over her phone. “Stay here, it’s about to be a long night.” With that Nozomi ran out the door with Eli’s phone.

\----

Time was an abstract concept for Eli at this point. She understood time was passing, but she would walk around Nozomi’s apartment with no real concept of how much time was passing or if anything was happening. She’d think about what Nozomi was doing, or what she might be doing, she was scared Hitomi would send someone to Nozomi’s apartment.

Eventually she heard the door to the apartment begin to unlock. More significantly to Eli it was being unlocked with a key. She hid behind the couch, knowing it would do little to protect her in a serious search, but it was the best she could manage quickly. Then the door opened and she heard the footsteps of a single person. Then the door was closed.

“Eli Ayase.” the voice began, Eli noticed it was a male voice, then it continued in Russian, speaking formally. “I am a friend of Natsuko, no, Nozomi Toujou. She sent me to make sure you’re safe.” He paused for a few seconds. Eli didn’t move, not wanting to make a sound. “I know it’s asking a lot for you to trust me right now, but I will tell you one thing it would be nearly impossible for Hitomi’s people to know. I bought your girlfriend some CDs several years ago. I believe you two have similar tastes in music.”

Eli stood up, slowly. She saw the man was obviously older by at least thirty years and certainly looked Russian. He was carrying a backpack with him by its handle. “You’re her old partner.” Eli said.

“So you know who I am, good.” Then he tossed the backpack on the couch. “A change of clothes in there. Nozomi gave me your size, so I hope they fit. Put them on, we need to go.”

“Wait, where are we going?” Eli asked.

“I don’t know what Nozomi told you, but I can’t hold off Hitomi’s men if they decide to come here. Your girlfriend is leading them into a trap, and she needs us to be there to help.” The man explained.

“No! We can’t go there, I thought you were supposed to keep me safe! And you’re going to send me to where Hitomi is sending everyone?” Eli asked, surprised, and still quite frightened.

“It’s safer this way. You’ll be with friends.” the older man explained. With that, Eli went to change into the fresh clothes provided and came back into the main room afterwards. “I’ll drive, Nozomi said you might want a pill for this but she didn’t say where she kept them so you’re going to have to go without.”

Eli just nodded quietly, ready to follow along, even as she was terrified at what would come later in the night.


	76. Chapter 76

“How do you know the trap will work?” Eli finally asked after getting in the car with Sergei.

“We don’t, but given the circumstances it’s the best plan we had available.” The Russian man replied. Eli could recognize it in his voice, a lack of affect, most of his words drained of emotion. The same traits she saw in Nozomi on their previous operations. Everything was a calculation. Even if he was anxious, or frightened, or experiencing anything, Eli knew she wouldn’t see it from him right now.

“So why do you need me for this?” Eli asked, “Wouldn’t it be safer for Nozomi to request a team at her apartment?” It wasn’t that she was calm, but now that she had some downtime she was tired, and any opportunity to rest, even a little, was welcome.

“Natsuko insisted on us not deploying reinforcements. It’s… a Natsuko thing. She’s done it this way before and this is how she likes to do things, and she’s good enough the higher ups allow it.” Sergei replied. After that he motioned to the place between seats, where an earpiece was, “Put that on, we’re having someone secure and synch our comms once we’re on site.”

\----

Eli took the rest of the drive to close her eyes. She couldn’t sleep, but the rest was welcome. Finally she saw they had arrived at a neighborhood that had a couple cancelled housing developments with a few buildings around. Sergei stopped the car, “Get out.” he said as he left and walked into one of the buildings. Eli followed quietly.

Once inside Eli understood. The building had been abandoned, but she could see that there was a small armory in place. Sergei took a Kevlar vest, then handed it to Eli, “Put this on. It’ll catch a couple bullets for you, but don’t think it makes you invulnerable, if you get hit you’ll feel it tomorrow.” Eli nodded as she did so, following Sergei’s lead in putting his own on.

“How, how did you get all of this here so quickly?” Eli asked next, looking around at a rather extensive amount of weaponry and ammunition stored.

“We didn’t, it took us about three weeks. We suspected this could happen, and Natsuko-“ a pause, “Nozomi” he corrected himself, “chose this as the place we would go. Next we used the assumption Hitomi would track your phone should she want to do something like this to you, thinking you weren’t intelligent enough to consider that as a possibility, which is why Natsuko took your phone.”

Eli continued to look around, somewhat surprised that what was supposedly an emergency procedure was so well planned out. Then Sergei took out an assault rifle and continued, “AK-74, beautiful Russian weapon for a beautiful Russian woman!” he declared, smiling a little bit as he said it. “Don’t worry, it’s easy, it’s selected for three round burst, just pull the trigger and use both hands.” Then Sergei loaded a magazine into the weapon, “So easy a child could do it, and they do.” he seemed amused at the morbid humor, Eli didn’t share the enthusiasm as she took the weapon. Then she was given several magazines of ammunition. Finally, the older man took out flashbangs, an item Eli recognized quite well, “And you have these too, but it’s my understanding you know how these work.” He said, attaching them to the vest.

After that was done, Sergei took a rifle as well as several magazines. “You’re staying with me for this.” he said. “I might be taking you close to the danger, but I’m still protecting you.” It was then Eli heard a single gunshot in the distance. It was strange to Eli, she knew it was far away, but the gunshot was still incredibly loud. “It’s begun.”

Then Eli heard static in her earpiece, then a female voice, “Ohayo!” it was a female voice, the Japanese spoken in a way that was gratuitous. It didn’t take Eli long to realize it was Angie on the other end.

“What’s she doing here, I thought-“ Eli began quickly, but she was interrupted.

“Natsuko’s request. We needed someone familiar with Japanese smuggling routes to get all this weaponry here, and her price was being allowed to participate.” Sergei explained.

“And let’s see, our friend Ivan here-“ Angie continued, as enthusiastic as ever. Eli looked over as Sergei cringed a bit when she used the name to refer to a generic Russian, “left me a, a Dragunov!”

“It’s not quite a sniper rifle, but you get the idea.” Sergei added for Eli’s benefit.

Then the older Russian man picked up a pair of goggles and walked behind Eli, “Relax.” he said, strapping them on her. When Eli opened her eyes she saw everything had a green tinge to it. “Night vision, we’ll need it.” he explained before putting on his own.

“Where’s Nozomi?” Eli asked.

Sergei walked to the exit to their current building and pointed to a place that looked like it was abandoned during construction, “She’s in there, with your phone. Russian urban assault doctrine means they’ll surround all the entrances before going in.”

Sergei was then interrupted by another gunshot, this one much louder than the first. “There we go! No more Russian snipers to worry about! Let me see if I can patch us in to their comms, it looked like my Ivan was also the comms guy.” Angie said over the comms. Eli’s immediate thought was the woman was enjoying herself far too much for a combat zone.

“She hid in an abandoned construction site, how hard can it possibly be to kill one fucking girl?” the female voice asked angrily. Eli recognized it as Hitomi’s right away.

“How is she still able to stand? She was coughing up blood when I left her.” Eli asked, surprised she was conscious, let alone able to yell over the comms.

“Probably some heavy painkillers, she’s going to feel like shit once the adrenaline wears off.” Sergei said. Then he started speaking into the comms, “Natsuko, we have comms and I have Eli, how are you in there?”

\----

Nozomi was deep inside the building abandoned during construction. She had switched out her Otonokizaka uniform for fatigues, a Kevlar vest, and a bandolier with plenty of grenades and ammunition while holding her own rifle.

None of the Russians had managed to penetrate that far into the building yet. Doing so was difficult at best as the hallways and entrances were now strewn with junk and debris, making walking through most of the corridors slow going.

As Nozomi heard the sound of someone approaching one of the entrances she took a grenade, removed the pin, and held it for a couple seconds before throwing it, which was enough that she heard the sound of footsteps moving away from the entrance before she heard the grenade explode. “Yeah, I’m okay in here.” she said quickly before turning down another hallway she heard noise from, this time taking out her Type-89 assault rifle and firing a pair of three round bursts, which bought her a respite from that angle. “Though could you apply some more pressure outside?” She continued to move through the building, Angie getting access to the enemy comms was invaluable, as it let her know where the men were headed faster.

It was then Nozomi heard another one of the louder, singular gunshots. “Three down! This is fun!” Angie exclaimed over the comms. “Also, Hiiii Hitomiiiii!” she added, even more excited than usual. “So, I have a question about these men you sent. They aren’t like that time you sent an assassin to shoot a man three times and still fuck up the job, right? I mean, that is a pretty funny story.”

“What the fuck are you doing defending some dumb Russian bitch?” Hitomi snarled in reply. “Kill the Illuminati bitch while you’re at it!” she ordered.

\----

Eli saw Sergei look out one of the windows, seeing as a couple of the Russians turned away from the building Nozomi was in to suppress Angie’s position. Then she saw Sergei take the butt of his rifle and smash open a window, seeing the sharp glass fall to the ground.

“Fire from here, kneel while you do it, use the three round burst, and if they start shooting in this direction run away.” Sergei ordered. “Don’t worry about hitting anything, just in the general direction is fine.”

“Illuminati?” Eli asked over the comm, though she wasn’t brave enough to be on a channel Hitomi could hear. She then went to the window as instructed, and then Sergei left to get closer to the building Nozomi was in.

“It’s their name for us. It’s a joke. I’ll explain later.” Angie said, she sounded like she tried to force a smile as she said it, but it was also clear that bullets were being fired in her direction from the sound.

Eli did her best, pulling the trigger when she could. The early bullets in the battle were loud enough for Eli, but actually firing a weapon was a level of noise she was not prepared for. Then there was the kickback. She had heard firearms exerted a force on their user, but she wasn’t prepared for how strong it was and how it made every shot after the first go higher and higher as she kept pulling the trigger.

Sergei for his part kept his rifle on semi-automatic, only firing a single bullet at a time generally. “You’re doing well, Eli!” he said as encouragement. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but you’re doing what I need you to.” He kept moving closer to the building, making a point to use whatever cover he could manage between buildings. Once close enough he switched the rifle to firing a three round burst, firing a trio of rounds each at the two men firing on Angie’s position.

“That makes two of us, Hitomi.” Sergei announced after the two men fell.

“Why aren’t you fucking killing them?” Hitomi shrieked. She was past irritated and had become fully enraged. “I sent twenty of you to kill one girl and why are you fucking it up?”

Before any of the Russians could respond, Angie interjected, “Did somebody buy the cheap Russian model of special forces soldier again? Tsk tsk.” Her spirits higher once no one was firing on her.

\----

Nozomi wasn’t exactly sure what was going on outside, but she knew soldiers were beginning to enter the building. This time, she let a pair of soldiers make it about halfway down one of the corridors before throwing a pair of grenades into the cluttered hallway. Nozomi then turned around, the sound of the explosion and the screams generated by it were enough for her to know the outcome. Another hallway she took her assault rifle and fired three round bursts into another pair of soldiers. “There’s four.” she announced. Other than the heavy breathing from exerting herself in combat, Eli thought Nozomi sounded rather calm.

“Five down out here!” Angie announced.

“What she said.” Sergei agreed as he ran back to the building where Eli was.

“How many more do we need?” Eli asked nervously.

“Probably 11 more, but they’re down to half strength, we got the surprise we need.” Sergei explained.

Eli watched as more soldiers entered the building, “Is Nozomi going to be okay?” she asked, still clearly nervous as Sergei came back.

“Watch this.” the old Russian man said with a smile, “Russian comrades!” he began, “We have replaced your helpless Russian girl with Natsuko, let’s see if you notice.” Then once the comms were off he looked over at Eli, “No offense.” He managed to say.

Then he heard another male Russian voice speak up, “The Japanese wetwork team from Saint Petersburg?”

“That wasn’t a story used to scare recruits?” another one asked.

“Godfuckingdammit!” Hitomi continued. “It’s just one girl. One little Japanese girl. Nothing to be scared of! Why aren’t you assholes killing anything!”

Then Eli heard Nozomi’s voice over the comm next, “My apologies for waiting. Let me introduce myself. I am Natsuko Sergeiyevna Yamashita! So I believe that’s three of us, Hitomi.”

Eli then looked over at Sergei, who, even in the middle of a firefight was smiling as Nozomi used a patronym. Eli and everyone else on the comms knew exactly what Nozomi meant when she used it. The idea of Sergei was no longer a father figure, but rather, the one she acknowledged as a father enough to use it in her own name.

“Does this mean if I want to be with her I have to ask for your blessing?” Eli asked, even she could take a moment to ask.

“Ask me later. For now, you can stop firing, just taunt Hitomi, say things that will piss her off even more, she’s getting sloppy.” Sergei explained quickly before leaving the building again.

“You fucking bitch! No, how dare you use a patronym!” Hitomi was beyond enraged, “Rush in the building, kill her right the fuck now! I don’t care how many of you are lost, just make sure she’s dead at the end of it!”

Then Eli heard a couple more gunshots come from where Angie was. She didn’t quite understand the intricacies of the tactics that were being used, but she did understand Sergei’s orders well enough. Finally Eli started talking on the comms, “Hitomi. No. Anna Chudova. Why don’t you pay us a visit and do it yourself if you’re so great? Or did somebody have an accident today? That’s really sad!”

“Elichi, you should try adding something.” At first Eli thought it was Nozomi, given the use of ‘Elichi’, but soon she realized it was Angie. She bristled at the familiar form of her name being used by her, but Eli smiled at the suggestion.

Then Eli, for just a moment in a firefight of everyone speaking Russian, switched to Japanese, “Anna Chudova, who the hell do you think I am?” _It would be Angie out of everyone who knew that reference_ , Eli thought.

“I’m envious, Elichi, I was the one that always wanted to say that.” Angie admitted as the conversation switched back to Russian.

“Fuck you.” was all Hitomi could manage as she kept listening over the comms, hearing the men she sent fall one by one now.

“Aww, did little Anna run out of comebacks. Must be tough when you can’t do anything for yourself.” Eli continued, she was starting to enjoy the taunts.

“You want to do things that way?” Hitomi asked, then she shouted, “How many of you are left? Retreat, new target, Alisa Ayase. Providing new coordinates now.” Then she said over the comms, “You can’t protect her and yourself all the time.”

\----

“You’re evenly matched and flanked.” Nozomi finally spoke up. “By my count you’ve lost sixteen out of twenty. I can detonate every entrance to this building you’re all in at any time. Surrender.”

A few seconds later Nozomi heard the sound of several weapons dropping to the ground. “Natsuko Sergeiyevna, we surrender.” A male voice over the comm said.

“What do you mean you surrender!” Hitomi continued, “I said use any means necessary, you’re not supposed to surrender! You’ll never see Russia again for this!”

\----

Hitomi was in her office at UTX, severely injured by holding herself upright by her desk. Then she took out her phone and dialed another number. “I need another team.” She demanded, not bothering with a greeting of any time. “NOW!”

“Those were all the Japan teams.” was the reply she received. “Are you telling me you destroyed all of our Japan forces losing trying to kill one person?”

“They surrendered, it doesn’t matter, just get me another team.” Hitomi demanded.

“There are no other teams, it will take months to assemble more assets in Japan.” Then the line went dead.

\----

Once the remaining men were unarmed, Eli left the building. What surprised her was not how many died, but how many were still alive. While she saw a couple on the ground that were simply no longer moving, more had taken serious, but potentially survivable wounds.

“Natsuko, Sergei, Elichi.” Angie said over the comms, “I’ll handle cleanup. Consider it a thank you for letting me participate. I missed being able to do things like that.”

The three went back to the building Eli spent most of the firefight in. “You created quite the mess tonight, Eli Ayase.” Sergei began. Then he smiled, “Don’t worry about it, we’re pretty sure Hitomi threw everything she had in Japan at you. She’s still dangerous, but she won’t be able to use outright force for a while.”

“How do you know it will be okay?” Eli asked, “She threatened Alisa, is she going to be safe?” she was obviously concerned.

“I’ll stay in Japan for a while and make sure Hitomi, no, Anna, doesn’t assemble anything significant. I understand Nozomi has a plan that could get Hitomi out of this country for good.” Sergei replied. “Keiko might want to spread some money around to make sure she doesn’t try hiring thugs, but Alisa will be safe, I’ll assure you of that myself.”

“Also, this might be the wrong time, but I don’t know when I’ll see you again.” Eli said to Sergei next, “I know we’re both women, and I’m not sure how you feel about that, but, would you accept me being with Nozomi?”

The Russian man hesitated for a moment. “Eli Ayase, a woman with no formal training, has now taken part in two significant operations against enemy forces in Japan. She put the commander of the enemy forces in a state where she could not function properly, leading to disarray among the soldiers she sent, thus wiping out the assets that could be used for forceful attacks in Japan. She fought when she didn’t have to, with no guarantee of our protection for herself or her loved ones.” Then he smiled, “That is what my report will say. I’m an old man and set in my ways, but if you’re the one Natsuko wants, I will certainly accept you as her partner.”

Nozomi smiled as the man whose name she had taken replied to Eli. Eli for her part smiled as well, “I was jealous of the bond you two have, but, it was nice to see why she thinks of you that way. Thank you!” Eli was exhausted, but she was also happy with tonight’s most recent turn of events.

“Elichi, let’s go home and sleep. We still have school tomorrow and you have a decision to make.” Nozomi added. “Thank you.” she said to Sergei. “And tell Angie thank you as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Given this is mostly a Nozoeli Love Live story, I opted not to go into too many tactical details and tried to keep the chaos of combat simple for the most part. I hope readers don't mind. This is also my first time writing a major action scene, but I wanted to focus more on the characters than the actual violence itself, I also kept the depictions of violence somewhat vague, given I rated this story Teen appropriate and personally do not like writing graphic depictions of violence.
> 
> Thank you to everyone reading so far, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	77. Chapter 77

The trip back to Nozomi’s apartment was mostly quiet, both women were rather tired and Nozomi insisted on Eli staying with her for the night. “You can return home in a couple days.” Nozomi promised.

“Why would I want to return home?” Eli asked suddenly. It didn’t have that much urgency to it, the fatigue from the day had taken its toll on Eli.

“Hitomi won’t be coming back to that place.” Nozomi explained. “She knows you’re with us now, and while she underestimated you in the past, she’s unlikely to make that mistake again.”

“Illuminati. Why do they call you that anyway?” Eli asked next. She was tired, but memories of the past few hours were coming back to her and generating new questions as time went on.

“It was the early nineties.” Nozomi replied, then she laughed, “Back when the Russian recruits were feeling bad about the whole losing to the evil capitalists thing. So the early recruitment propaganda was focused on that and they dredged up old Illuminati conspiracy theories.” Then Nozomi shook her head, amused, “Our first commander, he, well, he heard about us being called that and it became our official name. Our unit insignia is even an all seeing eye. Not that we wear our uniforms with insignia outside of training, but it stuck and it’s something we tell jokes to each other about when we’re alone.”

“It is a little funny.” Eli admitted, offering a smile.

Once at Nozomi’s apartment Nozomi smiled, “Go on ahead Elichi and get some sleep. You can use my bed tonight, I’ll be there in a while. You must be exhausted and we need to be at school in the morning.”

Eli didn’t put up much resistance, instead walking immediately to the bedroom, placing herself in the bed and closing her eyes rather quickly. Nozomi went to bathe, she was tired but wanted to get rid of the outward signs of the events of earlier tonight, joining Eli in bed about 45 minutes later.

\----

It had taken a couple hours, but arrangements had finally been made and the captured Russians had been taken into custody. “We’re even done before midnight!” Angie announced excitedly over her comm to Sergei.

“I’m paying someone a visit.” he replied. “Let me guess, you have a party to attend.”

“Of course I do! I’m thinking host club tonight! I feel so good after all that fun, had some cleanup, and now to decompress!” the woman announced as excited as ever.

Sergei shook his head but didn’t say anything further, taking his earpiece out.

\----

It was rather early in the morning, but after receiving a call Sasaki’s superior was already in the office. “What would you like to discuss at this hour?” he asked the man standing across from him.

“The futures of Natsuko and Eli.” Sergei answered.

“Since when did you decide to be interested in a young girl again?” the older man asked, laughing slightly. “The first time I gave you one I am certain you wanted to put her in a package and write ‘Return to Sender’ on it.”

“And the first time we met I was pointing my pistol at you. Times change.” Sergei said, though he laughed as well.

“So they do.” the other man agreed. “What did you have in mind for them?”

“I’ll be too old to be in the field very soon.” Sergei acknowledged. “I’ll sit behind a desk like you want me to, but I want those two under my direction.”

“It would be no trouble to provide that to you, but you have plans for their future if that’s the only condition you have provided so far.” the older man observed. “For now, I will give you command of the Otonokizaka operation. While you are managing that, provide me detailed plans with what you want for them.” Then he paused, “You are aware those two have a relationship, yes?” he asked next.

“I will provide the plans.” Sergei agreed, “But Sasaki is going to be pissed.” He laughed at this. Then there was a few seconds of pause, “I am aware of their relationship. I will account for it. We can provide them covers that let them work together, but I can not provide a cover that allows them to be together romantically in the open. They will need to live separately.”

“Very well.” the older man agreed.

\----

It was not an hour later that Sasaki was calling his superior, “What do you mean I’m no longer in charge of the Otonokizaka operation?” he was fuming again.

“You have spent more than two years complaining about the operation, and I found someone else to manage it.” his superior replied calmly. “Neither of the operatives are your concern any longer, you will be briefing the new handler this afternoon.” After that the call ended.

\----

Eli woke up to Nozomi’s voice, “Elichi, I know it’s early, but you need to wake up.” She opened her eyes slowly. “It’s okay, Elichi, I know we need to go to school today, but I have one of your uniforms ready and you have time to bathe first.”

“Did you even sleep?” Eli asked tiredly.

“Enough, I’ll be fine.” Nozomi quickly insisted. “Today will be busy for us, but hopefully we can rest well tonight.”

“And Alisa?” Eli asked.

“She’ll be staying somewhere temporarily, but it should only be another day or so. We’re trying our best to not disturb her but it can not be helped right now.” Nozomi replied.

Eli nodded with that, got out of bed, and started the process of getting ready for school, knowing no matter what happened, she had a long day ahead of her.


	78. Chapter 78

The walk to school was almost torture for Eli. Nozomi had sent her on ahead alone, saying she had a couple things to attend to before leaving herself. She was still tired, which caused her muscles to be sore enough, but firing the rifle repeatedly and trying to hold it in place made her arms particularly sore. That didn’t even include the intermittent memories from the night before. Eli was generally aware of the major events that took place, but she was less clear on the exact order. _How Russian of her, to make a point to send me to school today._ she thought of Nozomi.

When she arrived at Otonokizaka she headed to the rooftop, she knew it was where Muse was practicing. _Isn’t that why last night happened? I defended Alisa and these girls, didn’t I?_ she asked herself. She stood by the door, lost in thought. _Perhaps meaning is transitive._ she considered. _They mean something to Alisa, and thus mean something to me._

Eli was then jolted out of thought by Maki’s approach, “Are you spying on us?”

It was a strange phrasing to Eli, _If I was not a spy before, I am now._ It was enough to prevent her from saying more than a simple, “No.”

When she was pushed onto the rooftop, she felt muddled. Between the thoughts of last night and her fatigue, Eli reverted to the only role she ever played for the girls. A lecture on how difficult her training was, emphasizing there was no guarantee of improvement. Honoka’s endless enthusiasm only lead her to reentering the building and going down the stairs.

Eli walked the hall quietly. Alisa’s question from the night before returned to her, _Is this what you want to do?_ She remembered Alisa’s enthusiasm for Muse.

Then there was another interruption, this time from Nozomi. Nozomi speaking to her so directly at school in the hallway was uncommon. Nozomi’s analysis ended with a question similar to Alisa’s, “What do you really want to do?” Eli froze again.

_Has Nozomi ever asked me that before?_ Eli tried to remember. _I don’t think she has. It’s always about objectives and what must be done, not what I want to do._ She could hear Muse counting dance steps outside. _Has what I ever wanted to do mattered?_ Her thoughts sped up. _It’s always about duty, or work. Isn’t that Angie’s way of thinking, just doing whatever I want with little regard for anything else?_ That thought was enough to jolt Eli from her thoughts again, “What are you talking about? I have to do something!” Then her voice grew louder, as though she was trying to reject the last thought, “I wish I could solve problems just by doing whatever I want!”

Nozomi could see Eli’s eyes begin to form tears, “I know I’m awkward.” Eli continued, now subdued.

_Awkward? No._ Nozomi thought. Then Nozomi’s eyes widened as she understood. Eli was tired. It wasn’t just last night, but it was the past eight years. The stories of Eli’s past revealed a girl who reveled in her popularity, the attention she could garner, her ability to look into the hearts of others and offer them what they wanted at a cost that was far too high. Eli had spent most of her life being the object of others’ affections. A life that had never truly been her own. It was just a series of courses set out for her. She could choose who she took to Russia with her, but it was still determined that she would bring someone. She could choose the persona she adopted at a school, but she still had to go to a school and perform her job. Resignation was never an option for Eli. Perhaps last night was the first time she felt like she truly made a choice in the past eight years.

“Do you really expect me to be able to say I want to become an idol now?” Eli continued, it was clear to Nozomi that the woman she loved was breaking, that her question had become a weight that made Eli revisit her past. It was with that Eli ran off.

Nozomi didn’t pursue her, _Even I only laid out plans for her, didn’t I?_ she realized.

\----

The girls were still practicing when Nozomi went to the roof.

“Vice president?” Honoka asked.

“Are you spying on us too?” Maki added.

“Maybe your fortune was right after all.” Nico offered in greeting.

“I’m here as Eli’s friend.” Nozomi said with a smile. “She wants to help you, but she’s scared. I know Eli has high standards, and can come off as aloof. I know she has caused you trouble, but I know her intentions are good. She wants to save the school she loves as well.” With that Nozomi turned to reenter the building.

“Wait!” Honoka said suddenly, running towards the door. The other girls followed suit.

Nozomi caught on that she was being followed and smiled, leading them to the door to the classroom where Eli was sitting. Honoka entered first, followed by the others. Nozomi herself stood near the back.

Honoka’s initial efforts to talk to Eli were rebuffed, but then she smiled, “Eli, please become a member of Muse.”

Eli was stunned at first, denying her interest again. “I never said I wanted to do anything. Besides, it doesn’t make sense for me to become an idol.”

“Why don’t you try it?” Nozomi asked. “You don’t need a reason. Do it because you want to. Isn’t that how everyone begins doing what they really want to do?”

Nozomi’s questions were strange things to Eli. She was so used to taking orders from the older woman, or only in limited control of what she did. In some ways, the idea of being told to make a choice, to do something because she wanted to was alien to the Russian woman. _I can make my own decisions, choose my own future._ With that thought, her choice was made as she took Honoka’s hand and stood.

“Now we have eight.” Kotori said as confirmation the girls understood what Eli’s gesture meant.

“No.” Nozomi interjected, “It’s nine, including me.” It was then Nozomi took a moment to explain some of her prior interventions, the truth behind their name, and her optimism for the group’s future.

Then the girls went to practice for the morning.

The memories of last night may not have completed faded away for Eli, but she felt reinvigorated. _I will choose the future I want._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's something wonderfully appropriate about Chapter 78 being where Muse is finally formed in whole, given 78 is the number of cards in a Tarot deck.
> 
> I know it's been over six months, but now we have the entire group together!


	79. Chapter 79

Eli was exhausted when the afternoon practice was finished. It wasn’t the lack of endurance, it was when the practice stopped or slowed down she had time to think. The past 24 hours had changed so many things for her it was overwhelming to think about it.

When Hitomi failed to kill her, Eli knew that was not the end. She may not be able to bring physical harm to Eli anymore, but that didn’t mean Hitomi was powerless. Eli had checked the bank accounts in Eli Ayase’s name earlier in the day and saw they were frozen. She wasn’t surprised, but she had also managed to spend the past year moving most of her money out of those accounts anyway. _Keiko was created for a reason, after all._ she thought. Keiko’s accounts were fine.

The original plan had been to use the apartment she was renting should the day when she would be subject to Hitomi’s wrath. Unfortunately that was complicated by the arrival of Alisa.

“Nozomi.” Eli said when the two were alone after practice. Her tone was quiet, silent almost.

“Yes, Elichi?” Nozomi replied, “You’re scared. I know.” she added.

“What do I do now?” Eli asked, “I didn’t plan on Alisa.”

Nozomi then smiled, “I know it’s been a long day for you, but would you like to see her? She’s safe and I think it would be good for her to see you’re safe too.”

Eli nodded with this. “Okay.” she agreed.

\----

The destination was a small apartment on the seventeenth floor of a rather tall building. Upon ringing the doorbell, Nozomi and Eli heard movement inside, stopping just short of the door. Then the door opened. “Good evening.” he said as the two women were greeted by Sergei. “I’ve been watching Alisa since she left school today, I hope you don’t mind, but we need to talk, Miss Ayase.”

\----

In one of the bedrooms, which only contained a small roll out piece of bedding Sergei began. “I know it is much to take in right now, but you need to make some important choices.” He explained, speaking in Russian. “We can return Alisa to Russia, if you would like. It would not be difficult and we have the resources.”

“I think Alisa is happy here.” Eli replied quickly. “She has friends and seems to be genuinely happy. If I’m supposed to be her older sister, wouldn’t it make sense that she stay with me?”

“Will you be able to handle that responsibility?” Sergei asked. “Miss Ayase, no, Eli. Please consider this carefully. You have chosen a dangerous path. We are willing to help protect Alisa, but it will be an additional responsibility you will have to manage.”

“I’ll do it.” Eli said, her voice determined. “Maybe, just maybe, she can have a happy life in Japan. One where she may need to worry a little more than her friends, but something I took away from so many others, I want to preserve it for her.”

“Very well.” Sergei says, “Stay at the home you were staying at. I sent in a team to remove any material of intelligence value earlier, so Hitomi will have no reason to return. If she does, both you and Alisa will be able to contact me and I will take care of it.” Then the older man paused again, “Miss Ayase, I must ask you one final question.”

“Yes?” Eli asked.

“If you want to be with Natsuko, will you be willing to live this life with her? You know she won’t quit, she believes to the core of her being this is what she must do. Your life will become even more difficult. Before yesterday you were a pest beneath the enemy’s notice. Now you are their enemy.” Sergei asked. “If you want to stop now, you can. You have enough money to go into hiding and live a decent life in Japan and no one will know what happened to Eli Ayase.”

“I’m not going to run, or hide. I know what you’re trying to say, that I can stop now and you would not blame me. That I can run from everything and start all over. I love Alisa. I love that I’ve found people willing to accept me here. I love Nozomi.” Eli then felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, “That’s the path I choose!” she said loudly. “I don’t care how horrible it is, but I’m tired of everyone else telling me what I have to do, so I’m going to protect Alisa, stop Hitomi, be with Nozomi! All of it! By my choice!” By now a couple tears were streaking down her cheeks.

The older man smiled at this, “Eli, Nozomi should be the one to comfort you, not me. However, I accept your answer.” With that he left the bedroom and returned to the main room.

“Mister!” Alisa said enthusiastically, “Are you done talking to my sister?”

“I am.” Then Sergei offered the younger Russian a smile, “I am a friend of your big sister, so if you ever need help, you can contact me.”

“Did you always like kids?” Eli asked, the evidence she had just cried a few tears was evident, but it had stopped for now. Nozomi cringed a bit shortly after Eli made her query.

“It’s… Alisa was my daughter’s age when I left. I am certain she will never forgive me.” the older man said quietly. “So if you care for Alisa, you will be a much greater person than I.” Then he paused and added, “But know that if you choose this life, you may be able to support Alisa with money, but you will have to leave here in a few months once this assignment is over.”

“It’s okay, big sister!” Alisa said encouragingly. “I’ll understand. There’s bad people in the world and you need to help stop them.”

A couple more tears came from Eli as she embraced the girl who was supposed to be her younger sister. “I know it will only be for a few months, but I will be the big sister you need.” Eli said, clearly determined to carry through on the promise.

Then Sergei walked towards the door, “I hope all three of you will forgive me, I have been awake for nearly 36 hours and I am a touch tired.” With that he didn’t wait for a reply before leaving.

“Alisa.” Nozomi then said, “I know it’s been difficult, but can we leave your sister here? She really needs to rest a little bit. She has been doing quite a bit over the past day for you.” then she smiled brightly, “I’ll show you the place Elichi and I like to eat parfaits at!”

“Okay!” Alisa agreed, “Sleep well, big sister!”

Eli smiled, and went to the small bedroom to lie down. It wasn’t that she could sleep, but just time to rest was enough for now.


	80. Chapter 80

The next couple days, with time filled in with practices and checking in on Alisa, had given Eli a new normalcy. She was still wary, but she had started to accept that Hitomi’s wrath had, for now, run its course. Hitomi lacked the manpower to send anyone after her, her money was safe from Hitomi, and a clear message had been sent that Eli was no longer helpless against her.

During practices Eli was still teaching the fundamentals of dance, but her demeanor had lightened from a harsh style to one more supportive. It wasn’t lost on her that the other girls of Muse were improving quickly.

Then it was one day after practice she and Nozomi were invited to eat with Honoka and Rin. They were eating their hamburgers quite happily. Eli held her own hamburger up and hesitated. _It’s so innocent._ she thought. _Their agenda is nothing more complicated than wanting to show me a hamburger. A little silly, but innocent._ With that Eli took a bite of the hamburger and smiled afterwards.

\----

“Were you ever like that?” Eli asked Nozomi as they walked to Nozomi’s apartment together.

“Like what, Elichi?” Nozomi asked, seeming genuinely curious.

“Innocent. Wanting nothing more from someone than to enjoy being around them and wanting to show them things you liked because you wanted to share something you thought was good with someone you liked.” Eli explained. “I’m a bit envious, since I was never like that.”

“By their age Angie had taken an interest in me and would help me work on my English.” Nozomi replied. “Not that I had many friends before her. It was isolating, performing as well as I did as an actual student. Then there was the pressure to keep performing so well.” Then she added quietly, “People with happy childhoods don’t end up like we did.”

“Will Alisa be okay?” Eli asked next. “I mean, really okay. I know she’ll have to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life, but she won’t end up like us, right?”

Nozomi smiled with this, “Alisa will be okay because you will make sure of it. I think Elichi is doing the right thing.”

“And she has actual friends. Speaking of which, I’m free tonight and we don’t have school in the morning.” Eli pointed out.

“You could just ask if I still had any vodka, Elichi.” Nozomi replied. “The answer is yes.”

“Is it unhealthy to say after this week I need a drink?” Eli asked.

“Maybe a little, but I won’t tell anyone.” was the answer Nozomi gave.

\----

A trip to buy groceries and a short walk later, the two women were at Nozomi’s apartment. Nozomi promptly took the groceries and prepared a saucepan, placing various fruits and juices into it, along with some vodka. “Not even your café can make parfaits as good as mine, Elichi!” Nozomi commented happily as she added the vodka.

“Well at least we know how to talk about this activity when the other girls are around.” Eli said drily.

With that Nozomi proceeded to make the parfaits, adding in more vodka once they were done. “And finished!” she declared, putting spoons in both glasses, handing one to Eli and heading towards the couch. “What to watch?” She asked, though it was mostly an idle question. “Are you one for romances, Elichi?”

“It depended on the person.” Eli replied as she took a seat next to Nozomi. “The boys would prefer things with more action. Romances were for when a girl was curious. I never just watched one to enjoy it if that’s what you mean.”

“Did you ever watch anything just to enjoy it?” Nozomi asked as she started with the parfait. “I made it a bit strong, but it’s still good!” She declared, reviewing her own work.

Eli then started on the parfait, “It is good.” she agreed. “I wonder if I ever did.” Eli admitted. “I would try to enjoy what I needed to watch, but it was always about what the other person wanted.”

“Maybe Elichi should choose a movie tonight!” Nozomi suggested. “I’m sure you can find something that sounds good!”

“And you’ll be okay with it?” Eli asked nervously.

“Of course I will be. If I watch it with Elichi it’s something we’ll share together, and you’ll have shown me something about yourself that you haven’t yet.” Nozomi pointed out. “You know what I like to watch, and we know about music tastes, but never movies.”

Eli stood and went to look at Nozomi’s movie collection. It wasn’t particularly large, and after eliminating the Western movies that lacked Russian or Japanese subtitles she found it rather small. She turned around, not having chosen anything, “My father liked Osterns, so I watched several of those as a child.” Then she offered a smile.

Nozomi didn’t know what to say when Eli said that at first. It had been the first time in several months she had mentioned anything about her actual childhood, let alone her family. It took Nozomi a couple more seconds to realize it was the first time Eli had shared a happy memory from her childhood. Finally she offered a smile of her own, “We don’t have to watch a movie tonight. I’ll find something like that we can watch together some other time.”

With that Eli took a seat next to Nozomi, consuming her own parfait. “How much alcohol did you put in this?” she asked.

“I’m not sure exactly.” Nozomi admitted. “I mean, some of the alcohol would have been cooked off. Probably.”

“Since when did you get intoxicated off this little alcohol?” Eli asked quietly. Nozomi only replied with a shrug. “You’re hopeless sometimes, Nozomi.” Eli laughed after she said that, seeming more amused than anything else.

“It’s just been a while since we’ve done this is all!” Nozomi insisted, finishing her parfait.

Eli didn’t say anything right away, instead working on her own parfait. When she put it down for a moment she was surprised by Nozomi embracing her. “Nozomi.” Eli said quietly, surprised.

“Elichi?” Nozomi asked, offering a smile.

“You don’t have to fake being drunk to be affectionate.” Eli answered, her tone still quiet.

“What do you mean?” Nozomi asked.

“You didn’t put near enough alcohol in the parfait to have this kind of reaction.” Eli observed. “Nozomi, I mean it. You told me to do something because I wanted to, but you should consider it for yourself too. You can embrace me because you want to, you don’t need an excuse like being drunk to do it.”

Nozomi let go of Eli and didn’t say anything right away again. “Was it that obvious?” she asked.

“I’ve seen you drink much more than this and not be this affectionate.” Eli replied, before embracing Nozomi herself. “You don’t need a reason. Do it because you want to.”

With that Nozomi slowly moved her arms up, wrapping them around Eli again. This time was much more subdued. “Okay, Elichi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know my style normally avoids using non-English words as often as possible in my work, but "Ostern" proved to be one of those words where it felt like the best translation I could manage without draining it of meaning. It could also be translated as "Eastern." Essentially it's an Eastern European/Russian genre of film created to emulate the American Western, primarily made during the Cold War, many of the non-Russian entries in the genre going so far as to actually take place in the American West. Many of the Russian Osterns would take place during the Russian Revolution and the Russian civil war that took place shortly after and some romanticized the time period, just like how older Westerns romanticized the idea of the Wild West.


	81. Chapter 81

The next couple weeks passed. Most of it consisted of practice and songwriting, followed by more practice. After that each day, Eli would see either Alisa or Nozomi, depending on which day, how much help Alisa needed studying, and how far behind Eli was on filing paperwork with Nozomi.

Finally the day of the first concert came. The performance itself was easy for Eli, while she had helped Muse improve overall greatly their choreography was still simple enough it provided her little trouble. Even singing in addition to the dancing didn’t put any particular stress on her. More importantly, Eli realized she was enjoying performing for the first time in several years. Originally it was ballet, where she always fell short and felt like a disappointment. Then it was demonstrating her ability for individuals she had taken an interest in for her assignments, which made the experience feel like work. This was different. Eli understood Muse was in competition with other idol groups, but it didn’t feel like competition to her, it felt enjoyable, she enjoyed performing the songs with the other girls. After the performance was over she smiled, having experienced the first performance which she truly enjoyed.

\----

After the concert everyone was rather excited, the early opinion among the girls being it was a success. While there was much enthusiasm, it wasn’t until Honoka said, “I’m glad you joined Muse!” Eli paid much attention. She didn’t respond at first.

“I suppose it was a good idea.” Nico added. Eli smiled, even with Nico’s delivery she knew Nico had her doubts about welcoming Eli into the group. Her acknowledgement that it was a good idea was enough praise for Eli.

Nozomi didn’t say anything, letting the other girls continue enthusiastically. Then Eli finally replied, “Thank you!” Eli felt a genuine enthusiasm from saying it, something that she had only ever previously felt with Nozomi in the past. After that it became easier for Eli to converse with the others. Once she started doing that, she saw Nozomi smile off to the side.

\----

“Are you glad you did it?” Nozomi asked Eli on the way back to Nozomi’s apartment. She seemed rather happy with how the performance went as well.

“I didn’t think it would be that much fun, and I had my doubts at first, but yes, I’m glad I did it.” Eli admitted.

\----

A couple days later Eli arrived at an office building. After entering, going up several stories on an elevator, and checking in with a couple people she entered an office where she saw Sergei on the other side. “Good afternoon, Miss Ayase.” he said, notably speaking Russian. “I trust Russian is more comfortable for you, since we’re alone it will be easier.” Eli nodded her understanding. “We have a few things to discuss.” He continued.

“Is there something wrong?” Eli asked, still standing.

“No, no, nothing like that, you aren’t in trouble or anything. Have a seat, I know you’re formal around us but you fought with me now, no need to be so formal.” Sergei insisted. “I am sure you’re aware I’m managing the Otonokizaka operation now.” Eli sat as instructed. “I asked for you alone because while Nozomi is taking a risk by being a school idol, very few people have seen her with that appearance and can identify her as Natsuko. Most who can were taken into custody.”

“I see.” Eli replied.

“I do admire your initiative as Keiko, you have done considerable things with her unsupported, which is, once again, impressive given the lack of training you received.” the Russian man continued. “However, Keiko’s activities do provide us some difficulty now that Eli Ayase is a school idol, especially as Muse becomes more popular. We also have a couple of requests for Keiko, if you do not mind.”

“What are they?” Eli asked.

“First, you need to be careful and protect Keiko’s identity, meaning they do not connect her to you. I do not mind you working with underworld elements, as those connections can prove to be useful, I do want you to be safe.” Sergei explained. “I value your wellbeing as an operative. While there are things I can do to protect you, being a school idol does put you at an increased risk due to the increased publicity you may generate for yourself.”

Eli smiled at this. “I’m willing to cooperate on that point, naturally.” she agreed.

“Second, and perhaps slightly more dangerous given the first request, we understand Keiko has several holdings involved with promoting school idols. We would like you to use those assets to help promote Muse. Make sure their songs are available for karaoke and they have merchandise that can be bought.” Sergei continued.

“Nothing too difficult.” Eli agreed. “You do understand I will need to promote other groups, including A-RISE as well, yes?” she asked.

“I do.” Sergei affirmed.

Then Eli laughed a little, “Admittedly, the idea of profiting off Hitomi’s work amuses me, so I hope you don’t mind.”

“We understand.” Sergei replied. The meeting continued on for some time after that, but most of it was briefing Eli on Sergei’s expectations in general, since he was now in charge of the Otonokizaka operation. Not that Eli minded, she did believe it when he said he valued her wellbeing given he had demonstrated it on their first meeting.

Soon enough, Eli left the meeting. Keiko had a couple calls to make, but nothing that couldn’t be solved with using the phone she set aside for that identity. _Besides, promoting Muse will be a little bit of fun. It feels like stacking a deck against A-RISE._ she thought with a smile.


	82. Chapter 82

With the news the most recent concert was a success, there was some celebration, but Eli had tempered it with the reminder Otonokizaka was not guaranteed to stay open yet and their work was not done.

While the other girls were somewhat alarmed when Kotori would start leaving early, neither Eli nor Nozomi were particularly alarmed by it, as they knew where Kotori could be found if it were absolutely necessary.

“Since you joined, Eli, we’ve gained some female fans.” Umi announced one day as the group was going over their recent advances in the school idol rankings. It was when Honoka started describing her physical features that Eli was bothered.

“Don’t say that.” Eli managed to say. She knew Honoka meant well, and meant it as a compliment. Still, she had not known Honoka as a friend for particularly long and it reminded her of all her past efforts which often relied on exactly those features.

\----

Later, in Akihabara, when out with Nico, Eli smiled under the facial covering Nico insisted she wear. _Keiko looks less outrageous._ she thought, smiling to herself knowing no one else could see it.

Then the girls heard Hanayo squeeing with enthusiasm nearby. While the other girls were curious about where it came from and what caused that kind of reaction for Hanayo, Eli and Nozomi knew exactly where she was, the school idol shop she had managed to acquire in one of her meetings. They trailed behind as the other girls hurried to see what it was.

“I wonder what they would think of Keiko.” Nozomi said, not managing to suppress a small laugh.

“Keiko has better fashion sense.” Eli replied amusingly. They were quiet as they approached the school idol shop in Akihabara.

By the time they were all in the shop, the outfits had been removed. As the girls fawned over the Muse merchandise, Eli looked at it slightly nervously, relieved that any merchandise of her had either already been sold or was hidden behind merchandise of the other members.

This was interrupted by Kotori’s arrival. As most of the girls were distracted by her appearance, Eli and Nozomi took a moment to look at each other, each providing a small nod, one of mutual understanding. With that, Nozomi snuck away. As Kotori tried to disguise herself poorly, Eli just looked at her with a small frown, looking unimpressed. Mostly to avoid providing any hints that she was fully aware of the situation and knew Kotori worked at her café.

Then when Kotori suddenly ran off and the other girls started to follow, Eli just smiled a little. She and Nozomi knew the area well and knew Kotori would try to return to the café. She had grown comfortable enough with the girls to at least be able to find some amusement in the situation.

\----

Nozomi had been running a short distance until she reached the bottleneck she suspected Kotori was most likely to use. Not that it was a difficult task for her. _Pity I couldn’t choose a more fun way to do this without the other girls becoming suspicious._ she lamented. Then it was a matter of waiting, and sure enough, Kotori did arrive as expected. Nozomi smiled as she knew it would only take a few words to convince Kotori to stop running, which worked as expected. _High school girls are so easy when you’re used to trained operatives._ she thought as she messaged Eli to get all the other girls to the café.

\----

Kotori revealing her part time job to the other girls was something Eli and Nozomi stood in the back for, making a point to be as invisible as possible. Mostly exchanging glances and smiles at each other during the more comical exchanges.

Eli and Nozomi separated on the way home that day, as Nozomi was needed at the shrine. When Honoka was confused at why Kotori would feel inadequate as a member of muse, Eli smiled a little, “I just mean most people don’t think they’re great. That’s why everyone works so hard. We grow little by little and are inspired to try harder when we see others around us grow. Friends may be something like rivals.” Even Eli found it unusual that she said it, deciding to dispense her wisdom instead of not saying anything to the girls.

Was Nozomi like a rival to her in that way? It was a question Eli thought about as she continued on her way home by herself. Eli acknowledged Nozomi’s skills as an operative were superior to her own and it was difficult for her to keep up. Wasn’t that part of why Keiko was created? Certainly it was created with a specific purpose, but Eli continued to think about it on the way home. Keiko was the fantasy she created, the woman that could keep up with Nozomi, the woman who had all the skills she lacked. Now that she had become much closer as a partner to Nozomi, both professionally and personally, Eli appreciated Keiko still had a purpose, but she was no longer a fantasy, just a potent tool she had at her disposal.

With that thought, Eli diverted her path, instead of going home she went to see Nozomi at the shrine, asking her to return to Akihabara with her. Once there, Eli said, “It may be the best place for our stage.”

Nozomi’s eyes widened as Eli suggested it. “In A-RISE territory? Are you sure?” she asked, surprised by the fact it was Eli’s suggestion.

“Certainly it is an excellent place to perform.” Then Eli grinned, “But also, it would be nice to do something other than play defense against Hitomi.”

“It would be, Elichi, but are you sure? She may retaliate.” Nozomi pointed out.

“She could, but her resources to do so are depleted and we’ll know ahead of time of anything she may be planning like that.” Eli’s enthusiasm for this, alone with Nozomi, worried Nozomi slightly. “Isn’t this your style, Nozomi? A non-violent action which nonetheless changes the dynamics of the situation?”

“You are right, Elichi.” Nozomi agreed quietly. “Do not worry, everyone will be safe. Even if Hitomi could do anything, she would not act in Akihabara so brazenly.”

\----

When announcing the proposal for the next performance location the next day, the others were surprised by Eli’s choice of location. After Nico pointed out for the benefit of the others it was A-RISE territory Nozomi chimed in to support her girlfriend, “That’s what makes it interesting.” At which point if Eli had any doubt concerning Nozomi’s support for the plan, it evaporated. Soon afterwards, and with some persuasion, the rest of the group agreed with the plan.

\----

While it did take some time for the song to be written, the choreography to be created, and other elements that went into putting on a street concert, a couple weeks later it did happen. At UTX the members of A-RISE were watching an uploaded video of the performance. They could hear Hitomi on the phone, speaking loudly in Russian, in her office. While they didn’t understand what was being said, they understood she was rather unhappy and that “Muse” was mentioned by name several times.

“I wonder why she hates them so much, they aren’t even in competition for the Love Live yet.” Anju observed.

Kira shrugged, “I wonder if she thinks they have something we don’t.” But after that video they started going back and watching other uploaded videos of the performances, trying to understand what could irritate Hitomi so greatly.


	83. Chapter 83

“Big sister?” It was Alisa. Eli had taken a night to spend with her. She requested Eli’s attention after she had helped her study again tonight.

“What is it, Alisa?” Eli asked, smiling a little.

“Do you know how to make a lunch box for someone?” Alisa asked.

“Of course I do!” Eli said, making a show of a bigger smile now.

Then Alisa smiled as well, “Do you think you can teach me how to make one?”

“Do you have someone in mind?” Eli asked.

“I do!” the younger Russian girl replied enthusiastically.

“Can we do it tomorrow night?” was Eli’s next question. “I will need to buy a few things so you can make one properly. Will it be okay to wait a day?”

“Okay!” Alisa readily agreed.

Eli really was happy when she had an excuse to do something with Alisa. Her time with the younger Russian was always limited by something, whether it be school, Muse, Nozomi, or any of her other duties that took up considerable amounts of time. It made Eli appreciate the time she spent with Alisa more.

\----

“Is it okay if we skip tonight?” Eli asked Nozomi the next day. “Alisa wants me to do something with her.” she explained.

“Of course, Elichi!” Nozomi replied, not seeming to have any issue with it. “How is she?”

“She has friends, her Japanese is getting better, and she looks up to me. It’s strange to think someone actually looks up to me in a genuine manner.” Eli explained.

“I think Elichi has many admirable traits.” Nozomi said with a smile. “Alisa looks up to you because you’re the big sister she dreamed of having. When she needed you most, you took a great risk for her sake. When her future was uncertain, you gave her certainty by letting her stay.”

“So I did.” Eli agreed.

\----

After practice Eli went to purchase the food and supplies needed to help Alisa make the lunch box she wanted before going home.

“You have everything?” Alisa asked, clearly excited to see Eli was carrying food with her.

“Of course. I’ll show you what to do, okay?” Eli said with a smile, taking the food to the kitchen.

For the most part, Eli handled the actual preparation of the food, leaving Alisa to spend most of her energy on the presentation of the food within the lunch box. “How did you get so good at this?” Alisa asked.

Eli didn’t answer right away, then she smiled, “I made several of these before!” she replied enthusiastically. “It’s really fun to make them and give them to someone you like.” she explained. “Where did you learn about these anyway?”

“I saw them on the television.” Alisa answered.

Eli smiled again, “Whoever you’re giving it to, you can be direct. You don’t have to act like the girls in those shows do where you pretend you don’t want to give it to them but do anyway. That just confuses people. Just tell them you made a lunch box for them and ask if they would like to have it with you. It might be scary at first but I’ve never known anyone to turn me down when I offered one like that.”

“You really do know everything!” Alisa said, laughing afterwards as they continued to prepare the meals.

\----

The next day at lunch Eli approached Nozomi, “Can we have lunch alone today?” she asked.

Nozomi smiled, “Of course, Elichi! In the student council room?”

Eli agreed readily and the two went to the relative isolation of the student council room. Then she took out a pair of small boxes containing food from a bag, “I made it for you.” she said, smiling herself.

Nozomi took it, then the two sat down and Nozomi opened it up, seeing that Eli had arranged a lunch with the food arranged in such a way that it created a clearly colored heart in the middle. Nozomi smiled again, even brighter than before, “It’s beautiful, Elichi.” she said smiling. “It feels like it would be bad to eat it and ruin it.”

“I thought you might appreciate it.” Eli said, opening her own box now.

Then Nozomi laughed, “Remember when you called me a typical high school girl when I confessed? Who is acting like a high school girl now?”

Eli laughed as well, “We are supposed to be high school girls. Besides, it was fun to make a lunch box for someone I love.”

Nozomi responded by reaching her arm out, brushing her hand lightly on Eli’s arm. “I love it, Elichi.” Eli responded with a smile before the two began to eat.

\----

A few days later Sergei was on the phone, the other voice on the line was now his superior when it came to reporting on the Otonokizaka operation. The older man asked, “Natsuko delivered a summer vacation budget that did not include at least 100,000 Yen in alcohol related expenses this year?” he then laughed, amused at this. “You should have seen the first year, I have the sense she probably has it all at that apartment of hers still.”

“Her report said she was worried it would break her cover if she tried to supply seven more girls with alcohol.” Sergei replied with a laugh as well.

“That operation against Hitomi did use up a significant part of this year’s Otonokizaka operation budget.” the older man observed.

“I still can’t believe you gave Natsuko so much.” Sergei admitted, but the two older men were mostly amused about the lack of alcohol in the requisition more than anything else.

“How is the other proposal going?” the older man asked next.

“Keiko needs some work, and Miss Ayase is willing to work with us.” Sergei replied. “We have plenty of time yet.”

“I will let you work, then.” With that, the line went dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lighter chapter, but I'm glad this story allows me opportunities to show moments where the characters can take a moment or two to enjoy themselves even when there are serious tasks that must be done.


	84. Chapter 84

“Your interactions with Maki Nishikino as written in your report are interesting, Natsuko.” Sergei began. He was behind his desk with Nozomi sitting in front of it. “Your assessment of her suitability for future operations?” he asked. The overnight trip during the summer break had just ended.

“She believes becoming a doctor and taking over her father’s hospital is her fate.” Nozomi replied. “The only thing that would make her suitable for further operations is to convince her that is not what she wants and there is an alternative. She considers Muse to be a diversion currently and is not interested in seriously pursuing such a career in the long term.” she continued to explain. “She has potential as a composer but lacks the presence to be an idol.” Then Nozomi paused, “Does Hitomi’s plan interest you?” she asked.

“For all we mocked her, and for all mockery worked against her, there is no denying Hitomi’s operational planning capabilities are quite impressive, Natsuko.” Sergei replied. “Keep in mind she landed three bullets in one of the most powerful men on the planet at the time.” His tone was serious, with Hitomi unable to hear the conversation, he was giving a more honest assessment of her skills. “Not only that, she did it while managing to keep anyone from being able to confirm it was a Russian operation. The only reason the target survived was luck.” Then he smiled, “It is right to learn, even from the enemy.” he quoted. “I am not opposed to replicating the spirit of her operations.”

“By now you know more about her operations than just these two.” Nozomi pointed out.

“Anna Chudova was impressive. Information on her operations was somewhat easier to come by than usual, since the idea of a woman rising in the KGB in operations like she did meant she had quite the reputation.” Sergei explained. “It would not come as a surprise to you that she specialized in operations against the Vatican.” Then a pause, “I heard rumors she was consulted for Afghanistan as well.”

“So why is she in Japan now? That’s what I never understood.” Nozomi asked. “Shouldn’t she be somewhere in Europe where she had established connections?”

“None of my sources gave me a good answer.” Sergei admitted. “Furthermore, why would they assign her an operation with the use of idols? She is getting old, but that wouldn’t really impact her ability to plan operations she is more accustomed to, and it likely only makes her more dangerous since she has the experience. She did run propaganda operations, but that is the closest I have to why she would be found suitable for Japanese operations.”

“Any idea what her motivations are?” Nozomi asked next, “Russian nationalist wouldn’t be impos-“ then suddenly Sergei cut her off.

“Don’t compare that woman to me.” Sergei said sharply. “If she were a Russian nationalist she wouldn’t be my enemy.”

“Sergei.” Nozomi said firmly, “She thinks like a foreign operations specialist. It would be natural for her to conclude the best way to safeguard her country is to conduct operations in other countries, just like how you would rather focus on internal operations.”

The older man sighed, “I know you’re right, Natsuko. If you find any leads on what her motivations are, let me know. Her assignment compared to her known skills do not match up. Which worries me.” Then he paused, “I feel like Eli knows something useful, but is unaware she knows something that significant.” Then another sigh, “She would also be useful for evaluating these girls and their suitability for operations too, but I know she would be horrified we even discuss it. Conscience defectors are loyal, but they have certain issues you just can’t work with them on. She seems to have fewer qualms about using Keiko to support us.”

“I’ll try to talk to her.” Nozomi replied. “She can be difficult sometimes, but I like having her close to me.” she then smiled. “Was your relationship with your wife ever this hard?” she asked, her tone quieter than before.

“Not as hard as you two have it.” he replied. “You should take her out somewhere nice.” he suggested. “Perhaps you can coax an idea out of Eli, she is probably more familiar with places to take someone in Japan than you are.”

“Thanks.” Nozomi replied, offering another smile.

\----

“Elichi.” Nozomi said later that night, the two were at her apartment again, as usual.

“Yes, Nozomi?” Eli replied.

Nozomi didn’t reply right away, her mind conflicted on whether to ask about work or to ask about something more personal, then she smiled, “Would you like to go somewhere nice?” she asked. “Just us?”

Eli was quiet for a few seconds herself, “Did you have something in mind?”

“I thought you might have a better idea than I did, actually.” Nozomi admitted.

“I have an idea.” Eli said with a smile. “Just be sure we can plan an entire day for it.”

“What is it?” Nozomi asked.

“It’s a surprise.” was the reply she received.

“Okay, Elichi.” Nozomi agreed. Then she wrapped her arms around Eli. It was something she was starting to do more often, at least in the privacy of her own home.

Eli reciprocated, “Who knew someone in your line of work could be so shy about showing affection?” she asked jokingly.

Nozomi blushed, “I’m not used to meaning it!” She tried to match Eli’s tone, but ended up coming off as more enthusiastic instead.

“Even you have a cute side.” Eli observed with a smile.


	85. Chapter 85

“Hitomi retaliated.” Eli said quietly. They were at Nozomi’s apartment again. Muse had reached nineteenth place, but something didn't sit right with Eli.

“How do you know that?” Nozomi asked, seeming interested in Eli’s observation.

“She has to have done something.” Eli continued. “We went into territory she considers her own, had a concert, and she hasn’t even visibly reacted.”

“But Elichi, she has A-RISE to focus on so she’s likely busy.” Nozomi observed.

“She doesn’t just stop because she’s suffered a setback or is busy, especially if it’s a vendetta like she has against me. I lived with her for over two years and I have the feeling she did something, even if I don’t know what it is. She might not be able to directly attack us anymore, but she wouldn’t just stop.” Eli insisted. Then she added, “That floor plan with the secret exit. That will get us into her office, right? Can’t you get into her computer there or something? She’s likely hiding all kinds of information there where she believes it to be secure.”

“Eli, if she encrypts her files at all we would not be able to use them without the key, and while we do have access to some resources, we don’t have access to something that can run a password attack on it in a timely manner. Even a short password would have over two trillion possibilities, and that doesn’t include the possibility of her using non-Latin alphanumeric characters.” Nozomi explained patiently.

Eli didn’t quite understand the entirety of what Nozomi was trying to explain with her, but she understood enough, “In other words, without passwords, we have nothing.”

“We can still try, but it would take at least two trips. One to install a key logger, the second to remove it and copy information. The first trip could probably be done within two hours. Then we would need to wait at least a week and go in to recover everything. Which is at best an eight hour operation if everything goes well and we’re incredibly lucky.” Nozomi offered.

“Does that mean it’s impossible?” Eli asked next.

Nozomi then smiled, “Extremely difficult? Yes. Time consuming? Yes. Impossible? No.”

The next step was loading the floor plans and going over them. It quickly became apparent to Eli that even planning one incursion into UTX was going to be a time consuming task as well, let alone a second.

\----

Muse’s practices were getting more intense, the choreography changes and need to practice an entire set list was consuming more and more time. After that, Nozomi and Eli were focused on ways to infiltrate UTX to gain access to Hitomi’s office.

“The schedule will be tight.” Nozomi realized one evening. “I think the safest day Hitomi will be out is during A-RISE’s series of concerts on a night where practice will end early which-“

“Means we go in the three nights before our concert at the Culture Festival.” Eli finished the sentence.

Nozomi smiled, “Elichi has quite the operation planning talent!”

\----

The Muse practice for the day had ended. Unfortunately for Eli and Nozomi, the task awaiting them later in the evening didn’t come with much potential to practice.

The first step was easy enough as Eli and Nozomi changed into the UTX uniforms Hanae had provided. “You have to admit, they are cute uniforms!” Nozomi said with a smile, trying to inject something akin to humor before the night’s activities.

“At least it’s not the sailor style ones.” Eli added, forcing her own smile, “I always hated the assignments with those. They made me feel so immature. The professional style at least allows our ages to pass as maturity.”

Soon enough, the pair were heading to UTX, each with a small bag. Getting past the gate at UTX was easy enough with the credentials provided, especially since there were no crowds there as the sun had nearly set.

The floor plan said the path began in one of the storage closets in a hallway on the lowest level. The door was locked, but Nozomi procured a basic set of lockpicking tools and less than a minute later was past the door and in the storage closet.

“Next the floor plan said there should be a false panel in the ceiling to uncover that will lead to the main shaft to get to the upper levels where Hitomi’s office is.” Eli recited.

Nozomi looked upwards, “I think it’s this one.” Conveniently, the storage closet had a ladder, which Nozomi used to reach the panel. Then she removed it and looked upward silently. “This is bad.” She said flatly.

“How bad, Nozomi?” Eli asked next.

“Look.” Nozomi said, pointing up. There was a ladder that went way up. Eli looked but she didn’t quite see the problem. “It’s a ladder, yes, but look at how it’s wired into the wall. Ladders normally don’t have wires coming out of them.” This last point she treated as though it were obvious.

“So what’s your point?” Eli asked quietly.

“I get the feeling that they’re wired to alarms if they’re used. It’s like a fire escape door. Enough pressure on it and it will start making a lot of noise.” Nozomi then forced a smile herself, “Of course Hitomi wouldn’t make this easy.”

Then an alarm started to sound as the two women were looking up the shaft. “Could removing a panel trigger the alarm as well?” Eli asked.

“Yes, yes it could.” was Nozomi’s simple response.

“Fuck.” Eli said, switching to Russian. “Fucking Hitomi. How long do you think we have to get out of here?” she asked next.

“Not sure, but it is time to go. Now.” Nozomi said, walking towards the door.

“Did you bring a gun?” Eli asked next.

“A gun would just make things worse.” Nozomi explained, “So no.”

“Do you have a plan?” Eli pleaded hopefully.

“I’m working on it.” Nozomi replied tersely.

It was then the two heard footsteps heading in the direction of the storage closet.

“Do you have a plan now?” Eli reiterated a couple seconds later, hoping the answer would be different.

“Maybe, but no time to explain, just go with whatever I do.” Nozomi said.

It wasn’t quite reassurance Eli felt, but it was better than the feeling of utter fear that had filled her a few moments before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I am simplifying some things to focus on the events and main characters in the story, so I hope those of you more familiar with many of the more technical aspects of my work understand, and it seems most of my readers do, which is appreciated.
> 
> That being said, for those who are curious about some of the references, the technology, the tactics, or all the little things that are left out, feel free to leave me an ask at cai000.tumblr.com and I'll do my best to answer them without spoilers. I leave quite a bit out to keep the story focused on the main characters, but I'm not opposed to explaining some of the background elements/technical details that get left on the editing room floor, as it were.


	86. Chapter 86

Nozomi listened for the footsteps, “We might have a couple minutes.” she said tersely. Then she took all of the accessories out of her hair, letting her hair fall straight down her back.

“What are you doing?” Eli asked quietly.

“Just go with it. Let your hair down, now.” Nozomi ordered in response.

Eli complied, but she was clearly confused by Nozomi’s orders. Then she saw Nozomi go behind her. She felt her hair being moved and pulled. “Ow!” she complained quietly, but Nozomi didn’t respond, Eli just continued to feel the sensation of Nozomi manipulating her hair.

“Part one done.” Nozomi announced after several seconds, then she took a moment to throw her own hair into a ponytail. “And part two.”

Eli then looked at a metallic surface, being able to see herself in the mirror and realized that Nozomi had styled her hair with the twintails normally associated with Nozomi.

“Take out your contacts.” was Nozomi’s next order.

“Since when did you know-“ Eli began to ask but she was interrupted by Nozomi.

“Since I asked you for our first parfait, it’s obvious to anyone who actually looks you in the eye.” Nozomi said quickly. “Then give them to me.” With that, Eli took out her contacts, revealing brown eyes, before handing them over to Nozomi. Nozomi winced with pain as she put the contacts in. “I hate putting these in dry.” She complained, then she closed her eyes for a few seconds to create a couple tears to at least make wearing them bearable.

The footsteps were still heading towards them, but Nozomi and Eli did take a moment to look at each other. Eli with blonde twintails and brown eyes and Nozomi with a ponytail and brown eyes. “We look so strange right now, don’t we?” Eli asked. Nozomi responded with a nod and then began pounding on the door.

Soon enough, Nozomi felt it open and stopped pounding, instead looking up at a male faculty member. “And what are you doing in this room?” he asked suspiciously.

“We got stuck in here when the door was left open and the hallway was crowded, then it closed and we learned the door was locked!” Nozomi said hurriedly.

Then the man looked further into the room and saw the panel having been moved. “And why were you removing the panel?”

“We were hoping it was a fire escape!” Eli interjected. “We were scared and were trying to do anything that would get us out.”

“We thought that it might get us out of the building. I’m sorry!” Nozomi continued. Then there was several seconds of silence, with Nozomi and Eli looking at the man who was looking back at them. Everyone seemed at a loss for words. Then Nozomi spoke up again, “Thank you for saving us! We’ll leave now, bye!” and with that ran past the man. Eli followed.

The pair made a run for the gate. Since the school was mostly empty, this was an easy enough task. The man started to run after them but stopped after a few seconds. Within a minute Nozomi and Eli were past the gate and outside of UTX, but Nozomi kept running, which meant Eli did as well. A couple minutes later Nozomi started walking again and began breathing normally again.

“Impressive, that didn’t even wind you at all.” Eli commented to Nozomi.

“You’re doing pretty well yourself. Endurance training for Muse is quite useful!” Nozomi said cheerfully. Then she took a look behind her and then faced forward again. “And this is why we don’t wear heels for operations.” she said flatly, clearly as a joke.

Eli laughed slightly, “I suppose so.”

\----

Once back at Nozomi’s apartment the pair changed their hair back to their normal styles and Nozomi took Eli’s contacts out.

“I have more at home.” Eli commented on the contacts.

“Elichi looks nice with brown eyes too!” Nozomi said with a smile.

“Nozomi, I’m sorr-“ Eli said as she began to apologize.

“Don’t.” Nozomi interrupted. “We had no way of knowing from the information we had and we managed to escape without too much trouble and only being seen by a few people at most. We can try again in a couple days.” she added with a smile.

“The night before the concert?” Eli asked.

“We need to do it while Hitomi is busy with A-RISE, and that is supposed to be the last day of concerts.” Nozomi pointed out, “So it has to be then.”

“Do you have a backup plan?” Eli asked next, curious.

“We’ll have one by then.” Nozomi said, trying to assure Eli. “We’ll need proper disguises for a second attempt, so we’ll prepare those tomorrow.” Then another pause, “Will Alisa be okay not seeing you much for a couple more days?”

“She’ll understand.” Eli answered.

With that it was back to looking at the floor plans and trying to plan a second attempt.

 


	87. Chapter 87

The afternoon before the concert was the final rehearsal. Immediately after Eli and Nozomi went back to Nozomi’s apartments.

“One use black hair spray?” Eli asked Nozomi, looking at the three small bottles in front of them, one for Eli and two for Nozomi. “Are you sure this will wash out quickly?”

“We may need to wash our hair multiple times, but it should come out quickly enough. In time for the concert at least.” Nozomi said, trying to reassure Eli. “It’s not great for your hair, but it’s a small sacrifice in the name of being able to execute the plan.”

Eli went first, using her bottle of black hair spray. “Did anyone ever mention how much of a pain this spray is to use?” She asked when she was done.

“It’s been a while since I have seen you with black hair!” Nozomi said cheerfully on seeing the result. Eli kept her hair down this time, but it was now black, just like the first time the pair had met. Eli had also taken out her contacts, revealing her brown eyes. “It’s been a couple years since I saw you like this! It’s not quite you, but isn’t bad!” she said with a smile.

Then it was Nozomi’s turn, letting her now natural hair fall down her back and spraying it. She found Eli’s complaints about using the spray valid, given it required a level of precision the bottle just did not provide particularly well, but when she left she had black hair and with the addition of her own contacts, brown eyes as well.

“We look so typical like this.” Eli said, laughing.

Nozomi laughed as well, “It really isn’t us, is it?” she asked before giving Eli a hug. “It will be okay, we’ll succeed this time.” she added. Eli wrapped her arms around Nozomi as well, which was a bit harder given she didn’t want to get any of the spray on her arms, so it looked halfhearted when she only ended up moving her arms to Nozomi’s side, but the older woman didn’t seem to mind much.

With that, the pair waited a few minutes before putting on their UTX uniforms, picking up their bags and walked outside. “Such a miserable night.” Eli said, commenting on the rain.

Once they started walking in the rain to the nearest train Nozomi added, “And a cold rain at that.”

\--

Once again, getting into UTX was not particularly difficult, since they still had the credentials to get past the gate. The building was mostly empty, but instead of walking towards the storage room Eli and Nozomi went for a different path, this one for the elevator. Once there, Nozomi hit the button to go down to the basement level.

“Ready?” Nozomi asked.

Eli nodded. The new plan was much more direct and called for far less subtlety, given the first effort had failed. Once in the basement Nozomi walked towards a spot indicated on the floor plan. Unlike the first time, when she was looking for a back way into Hitomi’s office, this time the spot was where a series of breakers was.

Nozomi then took a small hammer out of her bag, switching each breaker to the off position, then using the hammer to destroy the breaker so it could not easily be turned back on. Eli had her back to Nozomi, instead making sure no one came in this direction.

Within a couple minutes, they were in the UTX basement level in the dark. Then emergency lighting came on, making the glow a feint red. Once again, Eli and Nozomi could see and find their way around, but it was still mostly dark in many sections. “Emergency lighting?” Eli asked.

“Not surprised. Next step.” Nozomi announced. She didn’t run, instead walking towards the stairwell. Eli followed. The door opened and they started to climb the several stories of UTX. After a couple minutes the stairwell started to fill with what few students were still at UTX, trying to get out of the building via the stairs, especially since the elevators were shut down.

Given that Eli and Nozomi were heading up while everyone else headed down did get them several looks. But Eli would smile and say, “Forgot something!” nervously, which didn’t elicit any further response from them.

Finally they were at the floor with Hitomi’s office. The pair looked over the floor, devoid of people, with parts of it bathed in red light. “The level of access A-RISE has to support is incredible.” Eli commented, seeing the entire floor was dedicated to a wide variety of rooms not limited to a stage with cameras set up at a variety of angles to get the best view at any given moment, rooms that appeared to be soundproof with instruments in them, sound mixing equipment as well as video editing equipment.

These were all disregarded as the pair headed to one specific door, the one indicated as Hitomi’s office. Nozomi motioned for Eli to stand at one side of the door while she took out her lockpicking tools to work on the lock, again. This one was much more complicated than the storage room they accessed last time, but with the building largely evacuated the extra noise made was not an issue.

The lock was eventually picked, and as the pair stood off to the sides of the door, Nozomi threw it open.

The opening of the door was followed by a sound that made both Nozomi and Eli recoil for a moment. It sounded like the pump of a shotgun. This was followed by a very loud noise, one both could recognize as the use of a firearm. Then pellets could be seen going through the doorway and a series of noises indicating pellets hitting the inside wall could be heard. Both breathed a quick sigh of relief, since they were at the sides of the door and not in front of it, meaning the wall was able to protect them from the small pellets that had been fired.

A couple seconds after the shot, Nozomi looked inside, and it was quite clear what the source of it was.

“Couldn’t resist a second attempt, could you?” The question was asked in Russian. Eli recognized it immediately, but it took Nozomi a couple seconds.

It was Hitomi.


	88. Chapter 88

“Nice shotgun, Hitomi. It would be a shame if anyone caught you with it.” Nozomi commented, hiding behind the wall, but by now she had put her bag on the ground.

“Good luck with that.” Hitomi replied bitterly. “But capturing Natsuko would be amazing. I know Eli is with you, but she won’t be getting a second lucky shot in.”

Nozomi made a point of sighing, “RB-12.” she began, identifying Hitomi’s weapon easily enough. “Surprised to see you using a Russian rather than Soviet weapon. Good taste, but you still made a mistake.” Then a pause, “We both know shot won’t penetrate this wall, since I know you were smart enough to make it resistant to bullets, let alone shot. You should really come out here and we can be done with this. Or we can wait, I have plenty of time.”

“We both know all I have to do is wait for Eli to fuck up.” Hitomi answer, seeming pleased with herself. “You’d do anything to save her, wouldn’t you?”

“I can take care of myself.” Eli insisted. “Go fuck yourself, Hitomi.” she added.

“How cute.” Hitomi replied. Then there was a moment of silence, then the sound of metal on metal contact. Nozomi immediately ran from the door. Eli didn’t move, but a second later she saw why. There was the sound of an object hitting the ground, then an explosion.

Eli felt a couple the door slam into her, realizing the door had absorbed the blast instead of her. “That fucking hurt.” she replied, but other than that no harm was done.

“Nice door, Hitomi. Only using concussion grenades? Aren’t you considerate of property damage.” Nozomi said, but her voice was louder, as she had moved back a distance from the door and had opened another door to be between her and the open door that lead to Hitomi.

“If that’s the best you have I can’t believe I lost twenty men to you.” Hitomi replied. Her tone was rather amused. “But there’s no way you hid a weapon in that uniform.” Then Hitomi left the office, taking a couple steps in Nozomi’s direction.

Eli moved out from behind the door, taking a few steps to close the distance with Hitomi. Then she opened her palm and took aim at Hitomi again. Except this time she was interrupted. Hitomi’s response was quick, a slight turn and she lifted her leg up, delivering a kick that struck Eli in the abdomen, leaving her winded as she fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

“You were just lucky, that’s all. It won’t work twice.” Hitomi said as she continued to walk towards Nozomi, satisfied that Eli was lying on the floor.

Nozomi breathed a sigh of relief, but did her best to keep it inaudible.

Then she heard the metal on metal sound again, she knew it would only be a second before a concussion grenade was thrown again. Except this time Nozomi didn’t run, managing to grab the grenade right after it was thrown. _One second._ Nozomi counted in her head, knowing the grenade would explode at roughly three seconds. She held onto the grenade for another second. _Two seconds._ she counted internally, then threw the grenade back at Hitomi. Nozomi began to mentally count the third second before it exploded. While it exploded before it reached Hitomi, it was enough that she dropped her shotgun to the ground as her arms absorbed some of the impact. _Damn, it didn’t work._ Nozomi thought, but with Hitomi disarmed, Nozomi ran at Hitomi closing the range with her to only a foot.

Hitomi tried to lift up her leg for a kick, but as Nozomi had closed the distant she realized a kick would be ineffective. Instead she opted to throw a punch with her right hand. Nozomi reacted be grabbing the arm, initiating a throw, but was interrupted by Hitomi opening her palm and striking Nozomi in the chest, forcing her to let go of Hitomi’s arm.

“Nice technique.” Nozomi commented before closing the distance again.

“I spent some time with the KPA.” Hitomi answered, smirking as she jumped back a couple feet and delivered another kick aimed at Nozomi’s abdomen, the same kind she used on Eli a few moments again. Nozomi dodged it back taking another step back, and being outside the range of Hitomi’s leg.

“Not bad for a Cold War bitch.” Nozomi added.

“Little girls should learn to respect their elders.” Hitomi retorted. She continued with a series of kicks, making it near impossible for Nozomi to get close to her to attempt to subdue her.

At this moment Eli managed to sit up. Nozomi shouted, “Eli! The bag!” Hitomi reacted immediately, turning slightly to see what the bag was. This didn’t last long, as she immediately turned back towards Nozomi to block her efforts at throwing a punch, knocking Nozomi’s hand off to the side momentarily.

Hitomi kept up her aggressive stances and techniques, even taking them further. Even Nozomi was impressed that Hitomi could throw as many kicks as she did, which prevented Nozomi from even getting close. Whenever Nozomi would try to get close to Hitomi to prevent the kicks from being as effective, the Russian woman would use kicks that hit Nozomi in the sides of her abdomen, which kept forcing her away.

It didn’t take Nozomi long to realize that Hitomi was rather quickly backing her into a corner. Each kick was not only an offensive technique, but Hitomi was using them to position Nozomi in a place where she wouldn’t be able to avoid them. Nozomi realized this and moved in on Hitomi, she saw the kick at the side of her abdomen and extended both hands, pushing the leg away in time. Hitomi quickly took advantage of Nozomi letting her guard down to counter the kick with a swift punch, forcing Nozomi back again and in a little more pain in her chest.

_Who thought she was this good?_ Nozomi thought, _I can’t even close. If I close in, she’ll kick at my sides, if I push that back, she’ll counter with a punch. So I need to counter that kick then rapidly counter the incoming punch. Okay._ With a basic tactic thought out, Nozomi moved in again. She saw the kick at her side coming and extended her arms to block it.

Nozomi realized her error too late, the kick at her side shifted, changing its target from being Nozomi’s side to being her abdomen, which Hitomi hit with the toed section of her shoe. Nozomi noticed the difference instantly. _Steel toed._ she realized as the kick hit her far more than she anticipated, nearly winding her and forcing her even further back. By now Nozomi had nowhere else to run.

Even worse, Hitomi kept her range. It was all Nozomi could do to block the incoming kicks, but the frequency of them and Nozomi’s inability to do more than block meant she was getting tired. Then her hands missed one of the kicks, this one aimed high, at Nozomi’s chest, winding her yet again. “Who’d think you’d use an Asian style out of everyone.” Nozomi tried to taunt, but her voice was weak.

Hitomi’s initial reply was another kick, this one just a little short of Nozomi’s head. “You aren’t worth wasting a Russian style on.” she said, clearly mocking. “We Russians can use your techniques better than yo-“ then he voice suddenly stopped and was replaced with a scream. Hitomi collapsed to the ground soon after. Nozomi looked over and saw it was Eli. She had in her hands the Taser Nozomi had brought with her, aimed directly for Hitomi’s back where she couldn’t see it coming.

“Underestimating me is your biggest flaw.” Eli declared, making a point to administer another dose of electricity to Hitomi.

“Thanks, Elichi. She would have won without you.” Nozomi said, offering a smile. She was clearly worn out, but managed to stand again. “I’ll call this in, it’s going to be a long night for us.”

Eli offered a smile and responded with electrocuting Hitomi some more. “Too bad I can’t fry her.” she said, almost a mock sadness to it.


	89. Chapter 89

Eli still held the Taser in hand. Nozomi by now had went back to the bag and found a zip tie to restrain Hitomi with. When she went to detach the prods from Hitomi Eli interrupted, “Please, just one more? We both know she deserves it.”

Nozomi sighed, “Three times is more than plenty, you probably used it too much as is and we need her alive and able to answer questions. Don’t worry, unlike Angie we won’t be releasing her.” With that Nozomi removed the prods. “This isn’t vengeance.” she insisted. Then Nozomi paused and added, “While I have no issue with killing when the situation calls for it, what you are calling for, after she is disabled, is murder.”

“Fine. People are on their way, right?” Eli asked next. She made a point of walking up to the restrained Hitomi and kicked her, it wasn’t terribly powerful, but enough it would likely leave a bruise. Nozomi grimaced a bit but didn’t comment.

“Yeah, we have to make it look like medical, it’ll stop people from asking too many questions, but it will take some time.” Nozomi explained. “But with the lights out it likely means any cameras around here were off as well, so it should turn out okay.”

Then they heard the stairs open and a team of four men dressed like paramedics show up with a stretcher, loading Hitomi onto it. They don’t say anything. Then a separate team dressed similarly showed up, walking into Hitomi’s office.

Nozomi’s phone rang next, she opened it, took a look and looked over at Eli, “It’s time for us to go, we can still look like we’re evacuating the alarm. We’re also expected to debrief.”

Eli sighed, “This night is going to be long, isn’t it?” Nozomi responded with a nod.

\----

“It can’t be helped.” Sergei declared in Russian. Nozomi and Eli were standing in front of his desk, still in their UTX uniforms. “Capturing Hitomi like this is less than ideal, and now our fingerprints are all over this mess. The intelligence value of the materials recovered may still be useful, but I’m not convinced we can call today’s events a victory.”

“She was a horrible excuse for a human being. The world is better off without her running free and doing what she likes. You know exactly what kinds of operations she likes and you’re telling us today wasn’t a good thing?” Eli asked, clearly irritated.

“Elichi-“ Nozomi began, but Sergei interrupted.

“Eli Ayase, you have great potential. I acknowledge this when few others have. Your skills with poor training are quite good, and you would be fearsome if we could take time to properly train you.” he explained, “But you have a critical weakness that must be resolved. You need to understand sometimes we have no choice but to let evil run free so that we may stop even worse things. Discrediting Hitomi would have yielded more actionable intelligence. Now that they know this operation has been fully uncovered it will be abandoned and many of the operatives we could have captured will be lost.”

“I know where to start.” Eli declared. “UTX used some of the newer Japanese recruits to pose as students to help A-RISE and support them. We could identify them.”

“How did you learn this, Eli?” Nozomi asked, curious.

Eli sighed, “One of the girls I recruited, I pressured her for the uniforms and credentials to enter the building. She told me she worked with them. It would be a good place to start.”

“How many of them can you find in the next six hours?” Sergei asked. “We need as many of them as possible identified so we can capture them as soon as possible. By morning, it will likely be too late and they will scatter.”

“We’re going to need something to keep going if it’s going to be that long of a night.” Nozomi suggested. “We still have the concert tomorrow.”

“I’ll get something for you two. While I’m doing that and putting teams on alert you two rest. You likely won’t get another chance tonight.” Sergei offered.

\----

“Nozomi?” Eli asked, once they were alone. “Did I do something wrong?”

Nozomi smiled, “No Elichi. We just had bad luck and it ended this way.” Then she looked at Eli’s eyes, “I’m still not used to your brown eyes.” she admitted, “But-“ then Nozomi paused in thought, motioning for Eli to sit against the wall on the floor, then Nozomi did likewise before leaning in on Eli. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Really. You even have an idea of how to fix it, but how did you know that?” she asked quietly.

Eli didn’t say anything right away, but then replied, “We needed uniforms and a way in, I realized I knew someone, and I asked myself ‘What would Angie do?’” then her tone grew serious for a moment, “Don’t ever tell her I said that. I feel a little sick thinking I went through with it.”

“It’s fine, Elichi.” though Nozomi shifted herself, now with the back of her head in Eli’s lap and her mostly lying on the floor. “Operations can come later, just let’s enjoy this for a bit.”

“Okay.” Eli agreed with a smile, bringing a hand to Nozomi’s cheek. “We’ll have to do this again when we look like ourselves again.” she suggested.

“Okay.” Nozomi echoed.

With that, they both fell silent, knowing they wouldn’t get another chance to rest for at least another twenty hours, and even that estimate was optimistic.


	90. Chapter 90

Eli and Nozomi were still in their UTX uniforms, though Nozomi’s bag was now a larger messenger bag.

“Take them in the morning.” Sergei said after giving Nozomi the bag.

It was already approaching midnight, but Eli took out her phone. “Hanae? It’s me, Keiko. Hey, I had a bit of an emergency, can I come over to your place?” There was a pause as Eli received a response, “Okay, thanks, text me the address. See you soon.” then Eli hung up the phone, she had made a point of speaking quickly and about 30 seconds later her phone beeped with a text message. “Let’s go.” Eli said to Nozomi.

\----

The trip to Hanae’s apartment was uneventful, though the two women did get some looks for wearing school uniforms this late at night, and it was past midnight by the time the two got to the apartment building. Nozomi leaned against the wall next to the door, making a point to not be visible from inside the apartment, while Eli went to knock on the door. “It’s Keiko!” she explained loudly.

The door opened soon enough, and Hanae had answered. It was clear she had been sleeping, as she looked like she had just woken up and was wearing sleepwear. “Keiko? What is it?” she asked, concerned.

Then Nozomi revealed herself, standing next to Eli. The main difference was she had taken a pistol from her bag. “Don’t do anything loud, and let us inside.” Nozomi explained, her voice calm.

Hanae didn’t put up much resistance as she let the two in, with Eli closing the door behind them. “What’s the meaning of this?” she asked, clearly shocked by Nozomi’s actions.

“Hanae, we need you to cooperate here. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but your situation is quite dire.” Eli began to explain. Then she motioned at Nozomi, “My friend here wasted Hitomi earlier tonight, and we’re here to get everyone else that worked with her, given how much you know, you are in quite a bit of trouble right now.”

Hanae’s eyes opened widely, “That doesn’t make sense!” she started to complain. “You were the one that befriended me years ago. You took me to Russia. You had me trained and brought back here, and now because I did everything you wanted me to you come here and threaten to kill me? No! This is wrong!”

Eli sighed, “Hanae. Life is unfair. Your situation is unfortunate, but how we got here isn’t important.”

“Of course it’s important!” Hanae protested, “It’s your fault and now you’re punishing me for the things you did!”

“Little quieter, Hanae.” Nozomi suggested quietly, the pistol still trained on the woman.

Hanae fumed, it was clear she was angry and she didn’t exactly know what to do with that anger.

“Hanae, as an old friend, we’re not here to kill you. If you cooperate, that is. We just want your help.” Eli suggested.

“What is it?” Hanae asked next, still angry but trying to be quieter, given it was a request made by the woman with the gun.

“Contact information and addresses of everyone who assisted Hitomi at UTX who were sent there from Russia like you were.” Eli replied. “Do that and you will live. From now on you will do what I tell you to, but you will live and maybe one day you can put this behind you.”

“This isn’t fair!” Hanae protested again, her body was shaking. “They’ll kill us all if we talk, you know that, right?”

“They might kill you, Hanae.” Nozomi interjected, “But if you don’t cooperate I certainly will right now.”

“Why?” Hanae asked, “Why does it have to be this way?”

“I don’t have time for this.” Eli said firmly. “You have a choice to make. You either do what I tell you, or you die. This isn’t a negotiation.”

“Fine!” Hanae said, it was clear she was desperate, “You’ll get everything you want, but I fucking hate you Keiko.”

\----

A few minutes later Eli had a copy of the roster provided by Hanae, which she sent to Sergei. “Tell anyone about this and you will die.”

“We can leave now.” Nozomi said. Eli walked towards the door first, Nozomi followed, but stepped backwards as she did so, never ceasing to point the pistol at Hanae.

Once out of the apartment Nozomi put the gun back in the bag and the two women walked away.

“Is that safe?” Eli asked, referring to the gun being dropped in the bag like that.

“If by safe you mean following the basic rules of firearm safety? No. But it’s unloaded, I didn’t bring any ammunition so it was as safe as it could get.” Nozomi replied.

Once back on the near empty subway car Eli started to cry. “I hate myself right now.” she said quietly to Nozomi. “She trusted me, and I betrayed her.”

“Elichi, you did the right thing.” Nozomi tried to say reassuringly.

“Easy for you to say. This is easy for someone like you. You don’t look at bad people and wonder if you’re becoming like them, you just do whatever you have to for the operation to succeed.” Eli said, sobbing now.

“Betrayal is never easy, Elichi, but she will live, the operation may still be salvaged, and you will have saved many innocent lives this way.” Nozomi tried to reason with Eli.

“It doesn’t make what I did less wrong.” Eli insisted. “I really am no better than Angie.”

Nozomi fell silent, not knowing how to respond. “I’m sorry, Elichi.” is all she managed to say.


	91. Chapter 91

Once back at Nozomi’s apartment, Nozomi went to wash the black hair coloring out. It didn’t take her too long since it was just a superficial lair and her dark purple hair wasn’t effected by the efforts to wash out the color.

Then Eli went into the shower. It was approaching sunrise, but Eli just stood in the shower, letting the water fall on her. For several minutes she just stood there, not bothering to even put up a pretense that she was attempting to wash out her hair, even though some of the coloring did come off as the water hit some parts of her hair.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the events of the night again. It was supposed to be simple, she hadn’t expected a confrontation with Hitomi. Even further, she didn’t expect Hitomi’s capture to be viewed as something other than a positive development. Then there was her treatment of Hanae. It really was all her fault, Eli told herself, acknowledging that everything to do with Hanae was initiated by her. Years ago when Eli befriended her and betrayed her the first time with the trip to Russia. Then the second time when she pressured Hanae for access to UTX. There was the third time as well, which involved forcing Hanae to hand over everything she had. It wasn’t that Eli never considered Hanae’s feelings earlier in the night, but she was more scared of what Nozomi would have done.

It was difficult to love a woman who believed the ends justified the means at times. Eli thought about how some days she missed the simplicity of their first year relationship. It was entirely fake, but it was simple. Still, for all of her flaws, Nozomi did provide actual assistance in helping her escape Hitomi, even if Eli didn’t always agree with her methods.

“Elichi.” Nozomi said, interrupting Eli’s thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Nozomi.” Eli insisted, but she didn’t move from the spot in the shower.

“No, Elichi, you aren’t.” Nozomi said, stepping into the shower behind Eli. “Let me help. You’re disoriented, I can see it.”

“Not disoriented, just, is what I did worth it?” Eli asked quietly, but she didn’t resist as Nozomi took her by the arms and gently turned her around so the shower would fall mostly on her hair and she was facing Nozomi.

Nozomi smiled, “It is never easy.” Nozomi said, wrapping her arms around Eli while making a point to play with her hair to make sure the coloring would wash out. “In training they teach that you may have to do it some day, but you never know how you will react until it happens.”

Tears welled up in Eli’s eyes again, “Nozomi, why does it have to be this way?” she asked. “Why do we have to do terrible things like this? Why must the ends justify the means? If we’re no different from them what’s the point?”

Nozomi held Eli closer, “The world will never remember us, but when the world called upon you to do a difficult task to save thousands, perhaps millions over many years, you were great.”

“That’s not the point! I acted horribly and you keep telling me it’s a good thing!” Eli said louder, but the tears were interrupting her speech. “It was still a horrible thing I did. Hanae didn’t ask for any of it, she’s just a victim of everyone here! Even worse is I made her the victim of everything that happened, doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“It does, Elichi.” Nozomi answered quietly. “I know it’s hard for you. It’s hard for Elichi because Elichi is a deeply good person.” Then Nozomi smiled, “We don’t do this for the world to remember us as heroes or even good people, we do it because we dream of a world where it will not be necessary for anyone to do the work we do. They will never know our names, they will never know our deeds, but for those people in the future, we will have done our part to set things right.”

“You’re still justifying evil actions as good.” Eli objected.

“People do good things for bad reasons, and bad things for good reasons. You do the best you can, Elichi.” Nozomi offered in response. “I love you and want the best for you, but I promise I’ll do everything I can so that you can do as much good as possible. The world is complicated, but you always had a conscience. That conscience is what turned you away from them and towards us, even when the risks were high. That conscience is why I love Elichi.” With that Nozomi pulled Eli in closer, kissing her.

Eli wrapped her arms around Nozomi as well, not minding the water still falling. “Just… no more children.” she pleaded.

“Muse will be fine. Without Hitomi A-RISE is just another school idol group, not a threat that must be eliminated.” Nozomi promised.

\----

Soon enough the sun was rising and Nozomi reached into her bag and offered Eli a pill, holding one for herself as well. “Take it, you’ll need it for the day ahead.”

Eli took the pill, “What is it?”

“Something to keep you awake, we’ve been up almost twenty four hours now.” Nozomi explained, “And we need to perform, I’m surprised you aren’t more tired.”

“It’s a combat amphetamine, isn’t it?” Eli asked, looking at the pill suspiciously.

“How did you know?” Nozomi asked, but didn’t wait for an answer before continuing, “They’re perfectly safe in small doses.” she explained.

“Your organization’s love of pharmacology is another topic, but it can wait.” Eli said, ingesting the pill and finishing it with a drink of water. Nozomi did likewise.

Nozomi smiled next, “Is Elichi ready to perform?” she asked excitedly, “We do well here and we save Otonokizaka as well, and it’ll be fun!”

Eli smiled with this, “Thanks, Nozomi. I’m ready. Let’s save Otonokizaka.” She agreed.


	92. Chapter 92

The morning of the concert consisted mostly of preparation. The rain didn’t let up and so it was still somewhat dark outside. It was when Honoka arrived that Nozomi and Eli became concerned. The first sign something was wrong was her being late. The second being she looked ill. It was Honoka’s insistence, however, that lead to Muse proceeding with the concert anyway.

After the first song, when Honoka collapsed, Eli looked at Nozomi for a moment, hoping to have an idea of what the purple haired woman would suggest right now. Then Eli went to the front, “I’m terribly sorry. There was an incident with one of our members.” she announced.

When Nico asked about continuing, Nozomi’s reply of Honoka being unable to continue provided Eli with a confirmation that she approved of Eli’s announcement, even as she looked concerned herself.

\----

“We should have noticed.” Eli said to Nozomi as they were leaving school for the day.

“We had other priorities, Elichi.” Nozomi answered, “The operation last night was reasonably successful, which was our primary objective.”

“Do you not even feel bad for Honoka?” Eli asked next, irritated with Nozomi’s operations first mentality.

“It’s not that I am not concerned, but with Hitomi no longer a concern we do not need to worry about the girls being in danger in the future.” Nozomi explained. “If I had to choose, I would rather Hitomi no longer a threat than the concert be a success but needing to worry about Hitomi at the Love Live.”

Eli sighed at the response. “That sounds like you.”

“Also, Elichi, did Kotori seem different to you recently?” Nozomi asked.

“We have been a bit too busy for me to notice.” Eli admitted.

“We should probably try and do what we can to notice. I would not want something like today to happen again.” Nozomi said, adding a smile after that.

“I know you care, Nozomi. It’s just difficult to see it sometimes.” was Eli’s response.

\----

“Foreign fashion design schools?” Nozomi asked, she was on the phone at her apartment.

“It’s all we have been able to recover from Hitomi so far.” Sergei replied. “I was hoping you might know something.”

“She could have been trying to recruit a fashion designer for A-RISE, but I don’t see why she would have needed one.” Nozomi admitted. “I’ll let you know if I uncover anything useful.” With that, the call ended. Nozomi sighed, “I’ll have to destroy this phone now too.”

“Just how many phones have you gone through in the past two and a half years?” Eli asked.

“I lost count.” Nozomi said with a smile.

“Director Minami is concerned with Muse after the incident.” Eli then said.

“I can understand her position.” Nozomi said. “What do you think, Elichi?”

“It seems like a waste to stop after we have come this far, and I do believe you saying the girls will be safe now.” Eli began, then Nozomi intervened.

“If we were to perform at the Love Live, we would almost certainly not be able to return to Japan for some time.” Nozomi observed, “We would be assigned an operation elsewhere since we would be too recognizable here.”

“Russia?” Eli asked.

Nozomi replied with a nod. “It would likely be the only way we could stay together after this if we were to perform. I wouldn’t mind, but I think you should know before making your decision.”

“I’ll think about it.” Eli answered.

\----

“You can have everything, Elichi. Perform in the Love Live, be with Natsuko, and stay in Japan. You don’t have to choose two.” Angie was explaining. She had contacted Eli and asked to meet.

Eli bristled at Angie’s use of “Elichi”, but didn’t say anything. “And how do you propose I do that?” she asked. “Nozomi is right, if we performed we would be too high profile to stay in Japan.”

“It’s simple.” Angie said with a smile, “You convince Natsuko to run away with you. You find a place like I did, where you two will be free to do as you please, mostly. Just useful enough nobody upstairs wants to round you up.”

“Nozomi would never run away like that. You have known her even longer than I have and you think this even has a chance of working?” Eli asked incredulously.

“Elichi, Natsuko will stay if you want her to. All you have to do is ask me for help and I’ll make sure she stays.” Angie said with another smile. “It would be quite easy. Natsuko’s heart is simpler than you might think.”

“And if I make a deal with a devil, what will be the devil’s price?” Eli asked, clearly skeptical.

“I have no fee. I wouldn’t mind if she stayed, it would be nice to form a proper relationship with her again. She has enough experience we could be equals.” Angie explained. “I’ll be sure to include you too, if you want. We’re non-Japanese women in Japan, after all. We need solidarity.”

“And if I tell you I need to think about it?” Eli asked.

“That’s not a problem at all!” Angie said excitedly. “I only thought I would give you the choice. Isn’t that what you want? The opportunity to make an actual meaningful choice? To not just be obeying orders from someone else? Now that I have told you, at least no matter what happens next you will have chosen it for yourself. No need to decide now. I understand it’s a difficult choice to make. You do love Natsuko, after all.”

Eli nodded. “I’ll think about it.”


	93. Chapter 93

After Director Minami’s request and Honoka still being ill, it was Eli who advocated for dropping out of the Love Live, at least this one, eventually persuading the rest of the group to agree with her.

On their way home, Nozomi asked, “I thought you didn’t want to dismantle the group anymore, why did you say we should drop out, Elichi?” she asked.

“I realized something.” Eli began, “We could perform in the Love Live, and I could even stay with you, but that would mean leaving Japan, and I want to stay here.” she explained.

“I thought you didn’t like Japanese still.” Nozomi observed.

“It’s not that. They aren’t that bad, it’s just, well, what did it feel like to return from Japan after years in Russia?” Eli asked.

“The Japan I returned to wasn’t the Japan that I left. So many things had changed in just a few years. I would sometimes run into trouble because I had so many habits of doing things in a Russian way.” Nozomi laughed. “I barely escaped getting in serious trouble after I tried to bribe a police officer here, because I was so used to offering bribes in Russia.”

Eli laughed with that as well, “I feel the same way. The country I left isn’t the country I would return to. I’m not sure if I could even offer a bribe properly anymore. At least at first. Japan is my home now, for better or worse. Not only that, but Alisa is here now, and I want to stay with you and Alisa if possible.”

Nozomi smiled, “I’m glad you were able to form a relationship with her. She’s a nice girl. If we don’t perform in the Love Live, I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to allow us to stay.”

“As for Honoka, I will tell her, I will do it. I convinced everyone else, I’ll take responsibility.” Eli said.

\----

Then there was the celebration for the school staying open, which was interrupted by Umi announcing Kotori’s departure, and soon after that, Honoka declaring that she would quit being a school idol.

Once again, it was Eli who intervened and placed Muse on hiatus.

“This wasn’t how things were supposed to be, Elichi. I know you wanted them to disband early, but once you joined you seemed to wholeheartedly embrace them. What’s wrong?” Nozomi asked once the pair were back at her apartment.

“If Muse is on hiatus, we can stay together here, Nozomi.” Eli said with a smile, “I love you, that’s what I want. You’re used to sacrificing others for some greater goal, so please try to understand when I do it for once, that I do it with good reason.”

“Elichi, there is something very wrong.” Nozomi reiterated. “Sergei said Hitomi had fashion design school information, and then we learn Kotori is leaving to study fashion abroad. Does that not seem strange? Does it not seem like this was possibly intentional, that Hitomi was trying to destroy Muse with this?”

“But we still succeeded, the school will stay open.” Eli says, “So Hitomi failed.” she insisted.

“It doesn’t sit right with me.” Nozomi said again. “Something is deeply wrong. Why are you suddenly wanting to break Muse apart? Why are you suddenly uninterested in how everyone is feeling? You criticize me for being too focused on objectives, but why are you suddenly doing that? This isn’t like you Elichi!” a couple tears came from her eyes. “I love the Elichi that had a conscience and thought about moral considerations. I loved the Elichi that was a pain sometimes, but I knew it came from her innate goodness. The Elichi that I love wouldn’t be want things to be this way! Why, Elichi?”

Eli looked down, not saying anything at first. “You saved me, Nozomi, and so I want to stay with you, no matter what. I want a life where I have agency, instead of just blindly following orders. I know you think it’s selfish, but is it so bad to want to be with the woman I love? To be with the woman who showed me there was another way? No! It isn’t wrong! I want us to be free!” But tears were coming down Eli’s eyes as well now. “Please Nozomi, just let me have this, just this once.”

“To be free?” Nozomi asked, “Such a strange phrase for Elichi.”

“My entire life has been nothing but choices made for me. I want to stay with you. In Japan. You’re a great secret agent, right? You can make us disappear! We can have a life where we are together and in charge of our own path! Please Nozomi, for us.”

“Why is Elichi being dishonest with herself?” Nozomi asked. “Why did she change so suddenly?”

“Please, Nozomi, I’ll fix Muse if you agree. I’ll set things right.” By now Eli was in tears, “But I can’t bear to be without you, and I don’t want to go to Russia when we can have a life together here. Just come up with a way to spare us! I have you, I have a sister. I have a family again! Please don’t take that away from me.”

Nozomi wrapped her arms around Eli, “It will be okay, Elichi. I promise.”


	94. Chapter 94

“I’m worried about Eli.” Nozomi was in the middle of explaining, “She made a point of destroying Muse just so she could stay in Japan with me when I told her winning the Love Live would mean we would have to go elsewhere. Then she brings up the idea of disappearing so we can stay together.”

“Natsuko.” It was Sergei she was speaking with in his office, “You are not considering her idea, are you?” he asked.

“No! Of course not! After what you have been through and knowing just a little of that I could never selfishly choose her over what we must do.” Nozomi replied quickly.

“I know, but because of that I am the only one who can say this.” the older man continued, “Think about Eli’s feelings. For almost ten years she never lived anywhere for more than a few months. For the first time, she stayed in the same place for a couple of years. Then she met someone she formed a genuine bond with. Then another person. Then she fought for those things. Eli will continue to fight for those things because she found a moment of genuine happiness in a life where she sowed misery.”

“I just want Elichi to be Elichi.” Nozomi replied quietly.

“Eli has not changed, she is doing this because she loves you. She left her original family and found you and Alisa. Asking her to choose between you two is a necessary cruelty, but understand why she does not want to make that choice.” Sergei continued. “I know staying with us is an easy choice for you. For Eli it is a very different choice, and much harder. We can see to it that Alisa is taken care of, but that does not mean Eli won’t miss her.”

“So what do I do?” Nozomi asked quietly.

“I never thought you would love another woman.” Sergei said, making a point to pause to laugh quietly to ease the tension that came with that point, “I may not understand that, but I know that you need to do the thing you would in any other kind of relationship. Talk to her. Try to understand. Show her genuine empathy. She loves you, Natsuko, and she feels like that is threatened. I will hold off on preparing you two for the next operation, I suspect sending some materials to both of you would make the situation worse.” Then he smiled, “You chose a good person, Natsuko. Do not worry, if you need to promise her something, I will do what I can to make sure that promise is kept.”

Nozomi smiled, standing up and walking behind the desk, leaning over to give Sergei a hug, “You’re the best!” she said brightly, releasing him as quick as it started.

\--

“I never got around to asking, but why did you give me Natsuko anyway?” Sergei asked.

The older Japanese man laughed, “You were supposed to have a different partner. She had everything you could have asked for on paper. Caucasian, several years of experience, skilled with Russian weapons. I actually had to fight to give you Natsuko instead.”

“You had an experienced operative and fought to give me a rookie? Why would you do that?” was Sergei’s next question.

“The original woman had a terrible personality that you would have hated. You would have been miserable with her, so instead I thought a newer operative with a personality more likely to work well with you was in order. It turns out I was right.” Then the older man laughed again, “Admittedly, it was a little funny seeing your reaction to her. Still, when everything went wrong she pulled through for you, so it looks like I chose wisely.”

“As much as I hate admitting you were right, thank you for giving me Natsuko.” Sergei said.

\----

_How do I talk to Eli about this?_ Nozomi asked herself. She knew Sergei had given her advice earlier, but there was a difference between a general guideline and coming up with the actual words she would have to use. Still, she called Eli and asked her to come over to her apartment.

“Elichi.” Nozomi began, “I’m sorry about earlier, I was just worried about you. You’re doing this because you love me and Alisa and want us to stay together, right?”

“Is that so wrong, to want a life where I can be with both of you?” Eli asked.

“No.” Nozomi admitted. “You know, if you came with us, I’m sure you could still see Alisa sometimes.” she offered. “It won’t be an everyday thing, of course, if you two were in different countries, but it wouldn’t be impossible either. I’m sure Alisa would understand too.”

“Can I at least ask Alisa about it before I decide?” Eli asked, “I know she’s said she would understand, but I wouldn’t mind being the big sister she wants me to be.”

“You are much older than her, I’m sure she would understand if her big sister lived away from her. Besides, it seems like you’re being a pretty good big sister right now. You stood up to Hitomi for her even when you both knew the potential consequences, you introduced her to songs that she liked and make her feel better even when you had reservations about them, and” then Nozomi smiled with this, “You two made me a lunch box together!”

Eli laughed at the last point. “I’ll talk to her before deciding.” Then Eli sighed, “I’ll also talk to Honoka and see what can be done to see if I can fix Muse too. I’m sure Alisa would be sad if she learned my role in that. Thank you, Nozomi.”


	95. Chapter 95

“Alisa.” Eli began. She was at home with the girl she came to thinking of as her little sister. “Are you really okay with me leaving in just a few months?” It was a topic that had come up before, but Eli wanted a final confirmation before she made her commitment to Nozomi.

“Of course, big sister!” Alisa replied cheerfully. “I knew I wouldn’t see you for that long anyway, and it was really nice that I was with someone as caring as you.” Then she offered another smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Otonokizaka is safe even if you aren’t around for it anymore!”

Eli smiled in reply, “Nozomi said I would be able to schedule visits sometimes, so we can still keep in touch, okay?”

“Of course!” Alisa agreed. Alisa already knowing the plan for Eli to leave in a few months made it reasonably easy to accept, Eli being able to promise she would come see her still helped.

“Also, you walk home with Yukiho, Honoka’s sister, right?” Eli asked, “Could I walk with you tomorrow?”

“Okay!” Alisa agreed readily.

\----

The next day Eli walked to the Kousaka residence with Alisa and Yukiho. She mostly smiled, feeling better that Alisa approved. _Hopefully I can fix things with Honoka too._ she thought. Yukiho inviting Eli inside to see Honoka made things easier.

Eli apologized for her part in putting Muse on hiatus, but Honoka insisted it was her fault instead. Eli paused for a moment before speaking again, “People say I seem calm and collected, but that’s not true at all. I’m always lost, confused, and on the verge of tears. Nozomi has actually seen this embarrassing side of me before. But I hide my weakness.” It was as close to a confession of who she actually was to Honoka. A desire to expose a part of herself if it would somehow make things better. Then she continued, “I’m jealous of you.” Praising Honoka’s ability to be honest with her emotions.

“Frankly, I don’t know what to say to you right now. We’re shocked Kotori is leaving, and just imagining how you and Umi must feel is painful.” Eli continued, though she could relate, having just broken down recently in front of Nozomi in an attempt to stay with her in the way Eli wanted. “But you taught me something very important. The courage to charge forward without being afraid of change.” It was true. Nozomi may have taught her many things, Eli may have made a leap of faith to trust her, but she was terrified most of the time. The experience itself was terrifying and Eli had questioned her judgment many times. Finally she concluded, “You saved me back then.”

It was strange for Eli to realize a young Japanese girl taught her something about herself that no one else had. Nozomi may not have been the best teacher for it, but she did teach Eli a meaning of family and relationships that she had not previously considered. Nozomi lead her down a path to having relationships she could be genuinely happy with. It was Honoka’s indomitable spirit that would give her the final push to forge ahead for a life with Nozomi, regardless of where it lead.

\----

Honoka returning with Kotori and the group of nine performing a concert for a full auditorium concluded it for Eli. She smiled with the knowledge that maybe something she said helped set things right with Muse.

“Nozomi.” Eli said to her girlfriend after the concert and on the way home, “I’ll go with you.” She was now determined, any doubt in her voice about the decision gone.

“Are you sure, Elichi, I know you had doubts.” Nozomi said in reply.

“I’ve chosen you.” Eli said with a smile, “It might be scary, but I’ll be with the woman I love.”

“We have a meeting tomorrow with Sergei then to go over the details.” Nozomi said in reply. Then she stopped, wrapping her arms around Eli, “I’m glad Elichi is coming with me. I would have been lonelier without you.”

Eli wrapped her arms around Nozomi as well, not caring they could be seen on the street. “I love you, Nozomi. That’s why.”

“I love Elichi too.” Nozomi said quietly.

\----

“Your next assignment will be significantly more dangerous.” Sergei explained at the meeting. “The good news is I think the assignment should allow both of you to use your unique talents, and it will be a familiar dynamic.” Then he slid a folder across the table. “That is for Eli, or I should say Keiko. They’re new papers, better than the ones you likely had done for you. They establish you as a woman with business interests in idols and their promotion.”

“You’re letting me use my old identity?” Eli asked.

“I liked the idea behind it. Since it will give you business interests in Japan and Russia you will have plenty of excuses to travel so you can see Alisa.” Sergei explained. “I know it has been hard for you making a decision like this, and I don’t want you to just leave everyone you care about.” he then sighed, “I don’t want anyone else to have to make that kind of choice unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Eli smiled, then her expression flattened. “I need to confess. When I had my doubts, it was an idea Angie gave me. She told me I could stay in Japan and have Nozomi and Alisa if I went through with what she wanted, which was to run away with her.”

“Elichi, I wish you would have told me. You know she has a way of messing with your head, given how many times you warned me about her.” Nozomi spoke up.

“Fucking woman.” Sergei said, clearly irritated. “She does not get to fuck with my operatives and get away with it, even if she did save our asses against Hitomi.” Then he looked at Eli, then at Nozomi, “Do you two want to handle her, or should I?”

“Leave her be.” was Nozomi’s answer.

“Nozomi, are you sure that’s okay?” Eli asked, surprised by Nozomi’s decision.

“I will not let it blow back on you two.” Sergei guaranteed. “And I want to send a clear message. That woman keeps getting by being just useful enough to not justify putting a bullet or two in her head.”

“I’m sure.” Nozomi answered confidently. “Angie’s alone and miserable. That fate is enough for me.”

“And for you, Eli?” Sergei asked.

“I trust Nozomi.” Eli answered, “And I’m sure you won’t make life on her easy.”

The older man laughed, “You are right. I won’t be letting her off easy, but she won’t get a bullet through her head. I’ll put her in Sasaki’s care. Punishment enough for both of them for the trouble they caused you two.”

“So what is the assignment?” Nozomi asked.

“Deceptively simple. I told you about the pet Oligarch I had. He’s willing to cooperate and let you two into his organization to run an idol management company. Keiko will be the manager, who will handle the day to day operations and keep your covers intact, mainly by providing Natsuko with alibis as needed. Natsuko will recruit and manage the assets while nominally being Keiko’s assistant. I should warn you two that you will not have as much protection as you do here, but I will be in charge of operations in the area, so I will do my best to protect you two with what I have available.”

“I like it.” Eli said with a smile, “Sounds fun, doesn’t it, Nozomi?”

Nozomi smiled as well and laughed, “To a new life, Keikochi.” Then a pause, “I’ll have to get used to calling you that.”

\----

That night the two went back to Nozomi’s apartment. While they were told they would finish out the school year to avoid drawing suspicion to themselves, Nozomi had cleaned up several aspects of her apartment, including rearranging furniture.

The bedroom still had a bed to sit on, however, and they both found themselves there. “Elichi, I think I’m ready.” Nozomi said, wrapping her arm around Eli. “I know it’s been so long, and it took us a long time to get here, but I’m ready.” With that she leaned in to kiss Eli, this time with a deep kiss. While it was not her first kiss with Eli, it certainly felt like the first kiss she put all her emotions into.

Eli kissed her back and soon the two fell onto the bed.

\----

A couple hours later Nozomi poured herself and Eli drinks in the kitchen, and each of them took one in their hand. “To Russia, with love.” she said with a bright smile.

Eli laughed at the movie reference, “The reference fits you so well. To Russia, with love.” she agreed, and they both drank.

Soon enough it was time for another drink, this time Eli proposing the toast, “All about us.” she said.

“And that reference fits you perfectly, Keikochi.” Nozomi added, “All about us.” and with that they drank again.

Russia would be a new adventure for both of them, but they were confident in their ability to handle whatever came their way. It had been nearly three years, but they had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but I wanted to thank everyone for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> To those who were with me since the beginning, when this story was a thousand words with a lot of promises: I love all of you. Thank you for your kind words and early support that encouraged me.
> 
> To those of you who joined partway through: Thank you as well. I know investing in 50,000 words of an incomplete story is difficult, but thank you for trusting me.
> 
> To those of you who started reading once the story is finished: I want to thank all of you too. I hope it was a wonderful read.
> 
> I'm so glad I had the privilege of sharing this take on the Nozoeli relationship.
> 
> For those curious, there is some space for future stories set in this world, especially since Nozomi and Eli will be moving to a new location, but it would be a very different kind of story than The Legend of Nozomi Toujou.

**Author's Note:**

> Nozomi, for most of Love Live, always came across as rather mysterious to me. She is often shown as wise beyond her years in many ways, seems to know just how to give early µ's assistance early on and serves as a guiding force. I couldn't help but think it would be interesting to explore an alternate character interpretation of Nozomi having a wide ranging and exciting backstory of her own.
> 
> Also, for those interested in my non-fiction reviews, commentary, and randomness. I have a tumblr at cai000.tumblr.com for people to follow.


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